Box Score


 Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey women's basketball team encountered its toughest opponent of the season as they fell to 16^th-ranked Montclair State University 61-39 in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday night.
 
The Lions (9-5, 5-2 NJAC) dropped just their second NJAC contest, while the Red Hawks (15-0, 8-0) remained unbeaten on the season at 15-0.
 
Senior Candace Vigo (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick Health Science Technology) led TCNJ with eight points, while sophomore forward Jessica Goldbach (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and finished with six points.
 
Sophomore guard Janitza Aquino (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) led all scorers with 15 points. Senior forward Taylor Jeffers (Franklin Township, NJ/Franklin) registered a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while junior guard Nicosia Henry (Bolingbrook, IL/Bolingbrook) put forth a terrific all-around effort with seven points, five rebounds, and eight steals. Rookie Kelly Williams (Titusville, NJ/Hopewell Valley) came off the bench to net a career-high 13 points in 18 minutes of play.
 
The Lions trailed by 14 at the half. The Red Hawks came out and applied tremendous pressure, showcasing why they rank second in the nation in scoring defense. They forced ten turnovers in first 5:15 of the contest and capitalized on extra possessions to surge to a 16-4 advantage with 12:34 left on the clock.
 
TCNJ battled back with a 9-0 run. A long three-point shot from freshman Angelica Esposito (Lincroft, NJ/St. John Vianney) cut the Red Hawk lead to 16-9 and a pair of buckets inside the paint from Vigo drew the host within three points.
 
MSU responded with a 14-1 run of their own. A three-point field goal from freshman guard Jen Kuczynski (Springfield, NJ/Jonathan Dayton) set the Red Hawks off and running before five points from Williams put the visitors up 30-14.
 
Lions' sophomore Kelly Coughlin (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) hit a shot as the buzzer sounded, but it left her fingertips a moment too late as Montclair held a 32-16 lead the intermission.
 
An 8-2 spurt by TCNJ to open the half closed the gap to eight points. But Acquino drained a shot from long distance to steady the ship for Montclair. The Red Hawks continued to put heavy pressure on the Lions with each possession. They produced 18 steals in the game, another statistical category they're currently ranked second in the country.
 
Esposito knocked down her second three-pointer of the game to make it a 37-32 with 11 minutes to play. Each time the Lions would gain ground, however, the Red Hawks would answer with its aggressive style of play. They scored 21 of the next 25 points to seal their 15^th consecutive win.

Coughlin finished with six points and four assists, while junior Kelly Roddy (Belmar, NJ/St. Rose) also added six points. Junior Tiffany DeTulio (Colts Neck, NJ/Colts Neck) compiled four steals in the game.
 
The Lions will hit the road and visit New Jersey City University on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Red Hawks visit Kean University for a 3 p.m. tipoff.