Glassboro, NJ – Senior forward Katie Sire posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Kate Tobie netted her second straight double-double as No. 17/22 Montclair State swept its season series against Rowan with a 72-66 victory on Saturday.
Tobie finished with 12 points and 13 assists while Taylo Harmon added 15 points helping the Red Hawks (18-1, 13-0 NJAC) extend their winning streak to 15 games. MSU placed four players in double figures.
Sire scored the first basket of the game 62 seconds in however Rowan scored 13 of the next 17 points taking a 13-7 lead with 3:34 in the opening period. Harmon knotted the game at 16-16 with 26 seconds left scoring on a layup but Peters' layup with 12 ticks remaining gave Rowan an 18-16 advantage after one period.
MSU tied the game twice in the second quarter but trailed 26-24 until McKinnon nailed a three-pointer with 5:05 to play putting the Red Hawks in front. A Sire bucket pushed the lead to three points however Samantha Tello's three regained the lead for Rowan 30-29 with 3:16 left before halftime. Tobie's three swung the lead back to Montclair but Peters' three-point play with 59 seconds vaulted Rowan on top 33-32.
Sire's offensive rebound inside a minute led to a three-pointer by Taylor Brown giving MSU a 35-33 advantage. April Szymczyk connected twice from the line with 12 seconds knotting the score but Domonique Wirsing was fouled with one second left. She hit both foul shots sending Montclair State into halftime up 37-35.
Three three-point field goals in the third quarter, the last by McKinnon with 4:45 gave the Red Hawks a 49-41 lead. Rowan scored the next eight to tie the game but MSU countered with the next six as Sire hit four times from the line with a fast-break layup by Tobie giving Montclair State a 55-49 lead heading into the fourth.
McKinnon's three-pointer with 5:36 left put Montclair in front 64-54. The Profs got the lead back to five inside four minutes but Harmon drilled a three-pointer with 3:17 to play widening the advantage to 69-61. The Profs closed within 71-66 with 22 seconds but Sire made 3-of-4 down the stretch to seal the game for the Red Hawks.
McKinnon finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for Montclair, which got nine points from Brown. Montclair outrebounded the Profs 41-31 including 14 offensive board that led to 12 second-chance points.
Montclair State is back in action on Wednesday, January 31 with its "Think Pink" Game at the Panzer Athletic Center against local rival William Paterson. Tip-off the NJAC contest is slated for 6:00 pm.