Montclair, NJ – Freshman guard Nickie Carter scored 24 points leading three players in double figures as Montclair State raced past Stockton University 75-62 at the Panzer Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon.

Taylor Brown and Alex McKinnon had 15 and 14 points respectively along with nine rebounds apiece as the Red Hawks (19-5) swept the season series from the Ospreys (9-15, 4-13 NJAC) and clinched at least tie for second place in the NJAC.

MSU is currently 14-3 in conference play one game ahead of Kean University at 13-4. Both teams trail Rowan (14-2), who play at Rutgers-Newark on Saturday evening. Montclair could clinch a bye in the first round of the tournament with a victory at Rutgers-Camden or a Kean loss at Rowan on Wednesday, February 19 in the regular-season finale. 

Should Montclair and Kean both win, the Red Hawks would tie Rowan for first place with tiebreakers determining who would be the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds for the tournament.

Stockton took the first lead of the game 31 seconds in before MSU ripped off the next 10 points. Carter got the first basket and after a McKinnon jumper, Carter and Brown connected from long range for a 10-2 advantage with 6:20 left in the opening period.  Montclair led 16-8 before closing out the quarter with eight the final 12 points taking a 24-12 lead into the second.

Carter opened the scoring in the second with a layup and another by McKinnon inside six minutes widened the Red Hawks lead to 30-15.  Carter, who finished with 17 in the first half, netted the final 10 Montclair State points putting the Red Hawks up 43-25 going into halftime.

The Red Hawks outscored Stockton 22-7 in the third as it hit 9-of-16 shots from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range. Saniya Myers gave Montclair its largest lead of the evening at 65-30 with 1:58 left in the third.

Kayla Bush chipped in with eight points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for MSU, which shot 45 percent (28-of-62) for the game, including 11-of-19 from behind the arc. Cerys MacLelland, who was honored with McKinnon on Senior Day, dished out 10 assists to run her season total to 130.

Hailee Porricelli led the Ospreys with 10 points.