Montclair, NJ - Junior Katie Sire scored a career-high 29 points and filled up the stat sheet with six rebounds, three assists and five steals as No. 11 Montclair State returned from a 12-day layoff and beat SUNY Cortland, 66-49 at the Panzer Athletic Center on Monday evening. 

Sire posted another career-best sinking six three-pointers as the Red Hawks improved to 12-0 on the year in their first action since December 21, a 70-28 win over Regis in the Las Vegas Hoopla. 

Kristi Vitucci had 13 points for the Red Dragons (4-6), who dropped their third straight game. 

Sire led a three-point barrage in the first half by Montclair as it connected nine times from long range, including 5-of-5 by Sire, who was perfect shooting in the first half and scored 17 points. Rachael Krauss and Kate Tobie each had two for MSU, which shot 9-of-14 from behind the arc. 

Despite the hot hand, MSU found itself down six points in the first as Cortland also had the touch from three-point range. Alyssa Crosby had one of those giving the Red Dragons a 14-8 lead with 3:56 to play in the opening period. Montclair battled back and tied the game with 2:27 left on a Krauss three however Cortland escaped the first quarter with a 20-19 advantage. 

In the second quarter, Tobie put the Red Hawks in front with a three from the left side and another from Sire extended the lead to 32-27 before Taylor Harmon finished off a fastbreak allowing MSU to take a 34-27 lead with 5:18 to play. Sire put an exclamation point on her 6-for-6 shooting half with her fifth triple as MSU went into the locker room up 37-30. 

Krauss and Alex McKinnon combined in a 10-2 run starting the second half as MSU widened its lead to 47-32 with four minutes to play in the third. Sire hit from downtown for the final time with 2:07 to go as Montclair State led 52-38 at the end of three periods. 

Cassidy Chapko and Vitucci had consecutive three-pointers with six minutes left in the fourth pulling Cortland within 56-48. But sire scored the next five points ad McKinnon connected on the second of two foul shots boosting the MSU lead back to 62-48 with 4:45 remaining.

Krauss tallied 12 points along with four rebounds while Tobie added 10 points, three rebounds and five assists. McKinnon added eight points and five rebounds for MSU which shot 12-of-25 from behind arc. 

Montclair State is back in action on Wednesday, January 4 hosting New Jersey City University at the Panzer Athletic Center with tipoff scheduled for 6:00 pm.