Montclair, NJ – Senior guard Katie Sire scored 26 points while backcourt mate Kate Tobie added 14 as Montclair State extended its winning streak to eight games with a 75-57 victory over DeSales University in the Gelston/Paskert Holiday Tournament at the Panzer Athletic Center on Saturday.

Junior forward Domonique Wirsing added seven points, nine rebounds, five blocks, three assists and two steals as the Red Hawks improved to 10-1 on the year in just their second all-time meeting with the Bulldogs (5-5) and first in 23 years.

Montclair will face Albright College in the championship game on Saturday, December 30 at 1:00 pm. The Lions pulled off the biggest upset of the year with a 62-59 win over top-ranked and undefeated Tufts University. MSU and Albright will square off for the first time since the second round of the 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament, a game won by Albright 69-66 in overtime at the Panzer Athletic Center.

Playing for the first time since December 12, the Red Hawks found themselves trailing nearly the entire first quarter. Bridget Walsh's jumper gave DeSales a 14-8 advantage however MSU was able to close the gap to 20-18 after Wirsing hit 1-of-2 from the line with two ticks left.

Montclair blitzed the Bulldogs with a 14-2 run to open the second quarter. Sire's three gave MSU lead and she added another basket for a 23-20 lead. Molly Jansco hit two from the line for DeSales however Sire answered with a jumper in the lane and Tobie scored five points, including a three-point with 5:53 left extending the lead to 32-22 with 5:53 to go before halftime.

DeSales closed within 34-28 in the final minute but freshman Kim Calloway put in consecutive driving layups and Tobie connected on a three from the top of the arc giving the Red Hawks a 41-28 lead at halftime.

The 13-point deficit would be as close as DeSales would get the rest of the way. Freshman Taylor Brown made two three-pointers in the third extending the lead to 58-34 as Montclair State led 62-41 after three quarters.

Brown finished with nine points and three rebounds for Montclair, which shot 51 percent (30-of-59) from the field, including 6-of-12 from three-point range.