Montclair, NJ – Senior Katie Sire registered a game-high 24 points along with nine rebounds as Montclair State knocked off SUNY Old Westbury, 90-69 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship at the Pazner Athletic Center on Friday evening.

Senior Taylor Harmon and sophomore Alex McKinnon each had 18 points as the Red Hawks (24-3) advance to the second round on Saturday, March 3 where it will face Gettysburg College at 5:00 pm. The winner of the game advances to next week's NCAA Sectional Tournament. Gettysburg used a strong fourth quarter to down Albright College 74-65 in the first game of the evening.

Junior Charlotte Renker recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds for Old Westbury, which ended its season at 23-4. The Panthers, champions of the Skyline Conference, were making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years.

A six-point run by Old Westbury gave the Panthers a 10-5 lead with four minutes to go before the MSU responded with six of the next seven tying the game at 11-11 on Taylor Harmon's layup with 1:34 to play. After the Panther went back in front, Kate Tobie converted a three-point play with four more points by Harmon helping the Red Hawks to an 18-17 lead after one quarter.

The teams traded the lead in the early part of the second before Montclair State took control. McKinnon drained a three giving MSU a 25-23 lead and Kim Calloway followed with a layup before McKinnon connected again from behind the arc for a 30-23 advantage with 4:16 remaining.

Monique Joseph would cut the lead back to 30-25 with 3:59 left however that would be the last field goal by the Panthers in the half. Meanwhile closed out the half with a 10-3 run. Sire hit four times from the line including a pair with five seconds sending the Red Hawks into halftime up 40-28.

MSU would maintain its double-digit lead throughout the third quarter. Sire scored the final four points as the Montclair lead swelled to 62-24 heading into the fourth. The Panthers would get as close as 74-60 on a Joseph free throw with 4:19 left. Calloway, who finished with a career-best 13 points, hit a three from the right corner all but ending any Old Westbury comeback attempt.

​​​​​​​Tobie added six points and 10 assists for MSU, which got six rebounds from McKinnon and five from Harmon. Montclair held its own against Division III's leader in rebounding margin as Old Westbury entered the game at a +27.1 per contest. The Red Hawks were outrebounded by five but it wouldn't be as MSU shot 52 percent from the field (29-of-56), including 65 percent in the second half and 8-of-10 in the final quarter.

Montclair State is making its ninth overall appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship and sixth straight. The Red Hawks have now reached the second round of the tournament in each of those trips.

Saturday's contest against Gettysburg will be the first time the two have met in 18 years and just the third time overall. The Red Hawks haven't seen Gettysburg since January 2000 when it posted a 63-56 win over the Bullets at their own Days Inn Tournament. Montclair is 2-0 versus Gettysburg having also recorded a 58-44 win during the 1984-1985 campaign.