Montclair, NJ – Junior guard Kim Calloway pumped in 18 points in a reserve role as Montclair State kept its winning ways going with an 87-40 victory over New Jersey City University at the Panzer Athletic Center on Wednesday evening.
Junior guard Taylor Brown and senior forward Alex McKinnon added 17 points apiece helping the Red Hawks extend their current win streak to 12 games. MSU (17-4) kept pace with Rowan University for the top spot in the NJAC at 12-2 as the two will square off on Saturday, February 8 in Glassboro, NJ at 1:00 pm.
Junior forward Dayjah Anderson finished with 13 points for the Gothic Knights (9-12, 6-8 NJAC), who had their two-game winning streak halted with the loss. NJCU maintained its standing for the potential sixth and final spot for the conference tournament with four games left to play.
Montclair trailed just twice in the contest, the last a 9-8 deficit with 2:55 to play in the opening period. Trisha Peterson erased that with a three-pointer and a jumper by Brown with 26 seconds gave the Red Hawks a 15-12 advantage.
The Red Hawks extended that lead in the second outscoring NJCU 26-10 as it shot 8-of-15 from the field, including 5-of-8 from behind the arc. Calloway got it going for Montclair with a three-pointer to begin the second and later converted the rare four-point play with a three and free throw making the score 24-15 with 7:12 left. Brown connected twice from three and a steal and layup by Calloway with 3:53 to go boosted the lead to 36-20. Rylie Mulligan capped the outstanding quarter with a three-point sending the Red Hawks into the break with a 41-22 lead.
As good a Montclair State shot in the second quarter, it would be better in the final 20 minutes, making a combined 17-of-23 from the field, including 10-of-13 in the fourth quarter. McKinnon began the third with a three-point play and later added six straight points for a 52-27 advantage with 6:48 left. Brown buried her fifth three-pointer inside the final minute, and a short jumper by Nickie Carter closed out the quarter as MSU led 64-31.
Calloway was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and added five rebounds and four steals. Kayla Bush pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Saniya Myers had seven points with Carter, Mulligan, and Trinity Stackhouse, each chipping in with six.
Montclair outrebounded NJCU 46-28 and received 45 points from its bench and turned 17 Gothic Knights turnovers into 20 points.