Montclair, NJ... The College of New Jersey women's basketball team's upset bid of eighth-ranked Montclair State University came up a few points short as the Lions fell to the Red Hawks 58-53 on Wednesday in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
 
The loss snapped TCNJ's season-best winning streak at seven straight as they finished another successful season with a 16-11 record.
 
The Red Hawks (25-1) advance to the conference title game on Saturday against Stockton University, which got past Rutgers-Newark 72-61.
 
The Lions enjoyed a very good opening half as they led for nearly the entire opening 20 minutes. After the Red Hawks scored the game's initial bucket, TCNJ hit back-to-back 3-pointers in less than a minute to take a 6-2 lead. Senior Jessica Goldbach (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) knocked down the first of those two baskets with classmate Kelly Coughlin (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) making the other.
 
The Lions stretched that lead to 16-8 on a basket by junior Angelica Esposito (Lincroft, NJ/St. John Vianney). That field goal came with 10:30 left in the period.
 
TCNJ's biggest lead came with just over five minutes left when sophomore Katy Amato (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) sank a pair of free throws pushing the lead to 22-13.
 
The Lions led again by nine at 27-18, but Montclair State went on a 7-0 run to close out the half making it a 27-25 game at the break. Janitza Aquino scored the final five points of the half for the Red Hawks.
 
Montclair State came out firing in the second half as Aquino hit 3-pointers on the first two possessions and Melissa Tobie added a basket to put the hosts in front 33-27. Those eight points gave MSU a 15-0 run over the two periods.
 
Although the Red Hawks took the lead, the Lions continued to battle. Down 37-30, junior Christina Merlin (North Brunswick, NJ/Bishop Ahr) made a lay-up and senior Kylie O'Donnell (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling) nailed a 3-pointer to quickly pull them back to within 37-35. Coughlin then tied the game at 37-37 with 11:08 left in regulation.
The Lions did regain the lead at 42-41 with 8:45 left when Coughlin made her third 3-pointer of the game. That turned out to be the final lead for TCNJ as the Red Hawks countered with six straight points for a 47-42 advantage.
 
TCNJ did get to with 53-50 and then 56-53 in the final minute, but each time MSU made their free throws to secure the win.
 
Coughlin led the Lions with 13 points and Goldbach added 11.
 
Aquino led all players with 20 and Tobie finished with 18.
 
The game brought an end to the successful careers of three TCNJ players. Taking the court in their final game for the Lions were Coughlin, Goldbach and O'Donnell.