EWING, N.J. – Emily Toy hit a three pointer with 1:37 to play to break a 59-59 tie, and the TCNJ women's basketball team never trailed again as it defeated Rowan, 70-68, on Tuesday night in the NJAC opener. Toy made five three pointers on the night, including three in the fourth quarter, and finished with a career-high 16 points. Isabella Cafaro posted a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
 
In a nip-and-tuck game that saw neither team hold a lead larger than seven points, it was Toy's three pointer that broke the 10^th tie of the night. It was a strong answer for the Lions after Rowan tied the score on its previous possession with a layup from Eliana Santana.
 
Toy's other threes in the fourth quarter gave TCNJ a 54-50 lead with 5:41 to play and a 59-54 lead with 4:17 left. But it was that third three pointer that set up the Lions for victory.
 
Nikki Alexatos chipped in with a layup to give TCNJ a 64-61 lead, and Sydney Blum followed with a defensive rebound and a free throw to extend the lead to 65-61 with 33 seconds remaining.
 
Nicole Mallard hit a shot to cut the lead back to a possession at 65-63 with 20 seconds to play, but Setaro made five free throws in the final 17 seconds to keep TCNJ in the lead. The final of those five free throws set the score at 70-68 with eight seconds to play, and Rowan had the ball with a chance to tie or win the game on its final possession.
 
Tight TCNJ defense forced a rushed three-point attempt by Rowan's Savanna Holt just before the buzzer, and Blum got a hand on the shot as the horn sounded.
 
TCNJ went 12-for-16 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, and the Lions shot 76.2 percent from the line for the game. The Lions also assisted on 16 of 21 baskets.
 
Julia Setaro scored 23 to lead scorers from both teams. Cafaro posted her first career double-double and a career-high with her 10 rebounds. Her 13 points are one off her career-high after she scored 14 points against Southern Virginia in the season opener.
 
The Lions return home to face Hunter on Monday in a non-conference game at Packer Hall. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.