EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ women's basketball team built a big early lead with stifling defense, but offense let the Lions down late in a 60-54 NJAC setback to visiting Montclair State on Saturday.

Julia Setaro went off for a team-high 24 points and Arianna McCleod provided a big boost with 16 of her own for TCNJ (4-4, 2-1), which suffered its first league loss of the year.

The Lions were disruptive on the defensive end in the early going, ending the first quarter on a 15-0 run and surging out to a 17-4 lead. The Red Hawks (2-4, 1-2) got on track in the second stanza, however, racking up 28 points to go into halftime down just a pair at 34-32.

Neither side led by more than four until the closing seconds, and Setaro's jumper brought the Lions level at 53-apiece with 4:26 to go. Montclair State took the lead for good on the next possession, and TCNJ was unable to generate any offense in the closing minutes.

Setaro's 3-pointer put TCNJ ahead, 5-4, at the midway point of the first quarter, kick-starting a big run that ended in a double-digit advantage. The junior capped the huge burst just ahead of the buzzer with another deep triple following a turnover and a feed from Sydney Blum.

Montclair State got untracked in the next quarter, but the Lions still held a double-digit upper hand four minutes into the frame when Nina Branchizio dropped in a long-range trey and Setaro scored on a dizzying blow-by to make it 24-12.

Nickie Carter put the visitors on her back, scoring the next ten points for the Red Hawks and leading them to within 34-32 at the break.

As the teams went back and forth in the second half, Olivia Vero gave Montclair State a 47-44 lead with 7:45 to go. But McCleod took the game into her own hands, securing a loose-ball rebound and converting a three-point play to tie it. She then got loose in the lane and scored on a feed from Setaro, and her driving lay-up answered a score by Montclair State and gave the Lions a 51-49 edge at the 5:51 mark.

Carter would not be denied, however, putting in back-to-back buckets to give the Red Hawks a four-point cushion and help the visitors steal a win. She finished with a game-high 29 points on 8-of-13 from the field and 11-of-12 at the foul line. Julia Sutton and Kendall Hodges chipped in 11 points apiece.

Setaro was highly efficient for TCNJ, making 8-of-14 from the field and knocking down half of her three-point attempts. She also had four assists and three steals.

McCleod was an active presence, dropping in her third straight double-figure effort and grabbing seven rebounds. Morgan Heller led the team with nine boards.
The Lions continued NJAC play at Stockton on Wednesday.