SOURCE: https://njcugothicknights.com/news/2018/12/5/201812-05_WBASKETBALL_at_Montclair_State.aspx

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Without their 6-1 freshman center Jasmine Reese (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) available, the New Jersey City University women's basketball team (0-7, 0-4 NJAC) was outsized by a preseason nationally-ranked and six-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion (2013-18) Montclair State University (7-1, 4-0 NJAC) squad and dropped a 77-44 result on December 5 at Panzer Athletic Center.
 
MSU started two players listed at least six feet tall and that contributed greatly to the Red Hawks outscoring the Knights in the paint 46-18 and winning the battle on the glass, 55-31. MSU scored 17 second chance points to just three for NJCU.
 
In defeat, Gothic Knight senior captain Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) moved into the Top 10 in NJAC history in scoring. Now with 1,742 points in her collegiate career between Kean and NJCU, she moved past Rowan's Tammy Steele (1,732 points, 1982-86) and William Paterson's Floriana Borova (1,740 points, 2010-14).
 
Bacon once again had a strong scoring night, tallying 26 points on 30 shots. She made three of her seven threes and got to the line nine times, converting seven. She added six rebounds and three steals. Her twin sister, Miesha Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune), had a solid evening as well, scoring six points and chipping in eight rebounds, and four steals. However, she had NJCU's only assist of the night in a category NJCU struggled; Montclair State had 20 assists.
 
The Red Hawks were led in scoring by Kim Calloway (Morristown, N.J.), who had 18 points, and they received double-doubles from Alex McKinnon (Fairfield, CT) (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Cerys MacLelland (Cranford, N.J.) (11 points, 11 rebounds). All 10 Red Hawks who played, scored, and they assisted on more than two-thirds of their field goals made (20 of 29).  
 
For the third straight game, the Knights got on the board first, as Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) made a driving layup on their opening possession. However, the Red Hawks answered that opening bucket with aplomb, rattling off a 14-0 run, and creating a double-digit buffer that the Knights cracked only once the remainder of the game, getting to within nine at one point in the second quarter.
 
The second and third quarters were the best of the evening for the Knights, as they held their own with the Red Hawks, nearly playing them even for the 20 combined minutes.  
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 64th meeting. Montclair leads 61-3 and has now won the past 30 meetings since February 13, 2002. NJCU has never defeated MSU in Montclair, N.J.
• This was the sixth game this season that Marajiah Bacon (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) has topped 20 points. She improved her scoring average to 22.1 points per game. She leads the NJAC in points per game and ranks in the top 20 in the country.
• Bacon now has 1,742 points in the collegiate career between Kean University (1,587 points, 2015-18) and NJCU (155 points).

 
UP NEXT:

• The Knights host Rutgers-Newark over Alumni Weekend. The game is set to tip off at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 8 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court). NJCU will host its annual women's alumni game on Friday, December 7 at 7 p.m.

 
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