Box Score

Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey women's basketball team hosted the Profs of Rowan University on Saturday in Packer Hall in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up with playoff ramifications. TCNJ used a second half rally to remain perfect at home on the season as they posted a 67-53 win. TCNJ improves to 20-4 overall and 10-2 in the NJAC, while Rowan drops to 12-9 overall and 6-6 in the league. TCNJ is now a perfect 10-0 this season at home. 

For TCNJ's head coach Dawn Henderson, the victory marks the seventh time in her career with the Lions that her teams have posted a 20-win campaign.

The Lions' sophomore Keri Washington (Ewing, NJ/Pennington Prep) would come up strong down the stretch as she finished with a career-high 15 points, including 10 in the second half to lead TCNJ. Rowan's sophomore Gina Catanzariti (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) would add 15 points as well for the Profs after hitting all three treys she attempted on the afternoon.

After opening the game with a 5-0 lead, TCNJ would find itself trailing at the half for the first time all season in Packer Hall as Rowan owned a 32-20 lead at the break. Rowan's junior forward Amanda Jennings (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township) led all players with her 10 points off the bench. Jennings as 4-5 from the floor with a 2-2 effort from the line as the Profs shots 54.5% from the floor in the first stanza and held the Lions to just 23.3% from the floor (7-30).

For the Lions, senior guard Alyssa Michella (Washington Twp., NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) added six points in the first half as she made a pair of three-point baskets.

TCNJ would open the second half on a 10-0 run and trail by just two points with 17:07 left in the game. As the half progressed the two teams would exchanges baskets, leads, and with 7:45 left the Lions own a 49-44 lead. Michelle would hit a trey with 6:40 left and give the Lions a 52-46 lead. TCNJ would watch their lead grow by as many as 12 as they led 58-46 with 3:10 left. Rowan could not get closer as the Lions managed to convert 57.6% of their shots in the second half (19-33), while holding Rowan to just 27.6% (8-29).

By game's end, Washington would finish with a 6-11 effort from the floor with six rebounds and three steals. Junior Alexandra Gregorek (Mahwah, NJ/Academy of the Holy Angels) added 11 points off the bench, while both senior center Hillary Klimowicz (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) and sophomore Kelsey Kutch (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) would net 10 points on the afternoon. For Klimowicz, the performance pulled her closer to the 1,500 career-point plateau as she now has 1,493 points on her college career, including 1,218 at TCNJ.

Rowan's Jennings would finish with 14 points, while senior forward Ashley Cieplicki (Haworth, NJ/Dumont) would add 10 points. Both Cieplicki and Catanzariti would finish as the team's co-leaders on the boards with six caroms each.

TCNJ returns to action on February 18 as they will host Kean University for a 6:00 p.m. NJAC contest, while Rowan will travel to Rutgers University-Camden on February 16 for a 6:00 p.m. NJAC game which will take place at Gloucester Community College.