EWING, N.J. – Extended runs in each of the first three quarters spearheaded an impressive NJAC victory for the TCNJ women's basketball team on Saturday as the Lions cruised past Montclair State, 67-39, in Packer Hall.
 
Julia Setaro set the pace with 13 points for the Lions (5-4, 3-2), who gave head coach Chessie Jackson the 100^th victory of her career and snapped a four-game winning streak for the Red Hawks (5-5, 3-2). Grace Kowalski (11 points), Izzy Leazier (11), and Katie Fricker (10) also hit double figures as TCNJ led for all but 38 seconds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• TCNJ took command midway through the first quarter, turning a 7-6 lead into a 19-8 advantage by period's end
• Setaro had five points during the surge, including a bucket on a beautiful back-door pass from Natalie Kolb, and Branchizio's step-back 3 polished off a 10-0 run to build the Lions' first double-digit lead
• The Red Hawks made an early push with five straight points to start the second quarter, but it was all TCNJ after that. The Lions held the black-clad visitors off the scoreboard for the next 7:38 of game time, all the while constructing a 19-point lead at 32-13
• Leading 19-13, Arianna McCleod and Leazier connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to double the margin, and Leazier's third triple of the half made it a 17-point lead before Kowalski's nifty scoop put the hosts on top by a 32-13 count at the 1:29 mark of the second
• Just like the second quarter, Montclair State started the third on the front foot. But just like the previous frame, TCNJ had an answer. The Red Hawks got within 36-27 before going scoreless for more than seven minutes as the Lions used a 14-0 run bridging the end of the frame to put the game to bed
• Setaro's jumper made it 38-27 at the 4:50 mark, and the Lions led by double digits the rest of the way. Branchizio sandwiched a pair of buckets around a fast-break layup by Fricker, and Kowalski's runner stretched the spread out to 46-27 at the end of the third
• Kaitlyn Deiter got on the board to start the fourth and two free throws from Setaro made it 50-27 before the Red Hawks finally ended their latest lengthy drought. The visitors never got closer than 20 the rest of the way.

FOR THE FOES

• Olivia Vero did her best to keep Montclair State in touch on both ends, scoring eight points to go with four blocks
• The Red Hawks shot 34.7 percent for the day (17-of-49)

STANDOUT LIONS

• Setaro was 5-of-9 from the floor for her game-high in points, while Fricker (3-for-5) and Kowalski (5-of-10) combined to make eight of 15 field-goal attempts off the bench. The reserves also got a lift from McCleod, who scored seven on 3-of-4 from the floor
• Leazier scored all 11 of her points in the first half
• Branchizio finished with nine points
• Deiter only scored two points but had a huge game otherwise, corralling a game-high nine rebounds and dished out four assists
• TCNJ shot 43.9 percent overall (25-of-57) and was 11-of-13 at the line, compared to 0-for-6 from the stripe for the Red Hawks

NOTES

• Montclair State's three droughts comprised over 22 minutes of game time, each lasting at least six minutes
• The Lions ran rampant on the glass against a Montclair State squad that came in leading the NJAC in rebounding. TCNJ had 10 offensive rebounds in the first half alone, even securing four of their six missed shots in the first quarter. The Lions finished with a 42-26 advantage on the boards, including 13 offensive rebounds and a 12-4 edge in second-chance points
• TCNJ has won two in a row over Montclair State, and Saturday's win was the largest over the Red Hawks since at least 2002

UP NEXT

• TCNJ hits the road to face Stockton next Wednesday