EWING, N.J. - Despite holding the lead for over 28 minutes in their matchup against Montclair State, the TCNJ women's basketball dropped a 62-61 decision to the Red Hawks Wednesday night. The loss is the Lions' first of the season in conference play and moves them to 11-4 and 7-1 in the NJAC, while the win advances Montclair State to 12-3 and 6-2 in the conference.
 
Grace Kowalski led TCNJ in scoring with 18 points, followed closely by Nina Branchizio (14) and Brooke McFadden (13). McFadden also paced the Lions with eight rebounds while Kowalski added a team-best five assists in the narrow loss.
 
Kowalski did the majority of her work in the opening frame, pouring in a dozen of her 18 points in the first 10 minutes. After Arianna McCleod opened TCNJ's scoring with a triple, the sophomore would score 12 of the Lions' next 14 points to take a 17-13 lead into the break.
 
TCNJ rode the hot hand of Branchizio to balloon its lead to as many as 14 in the second, with the senior hitting a pair of triples as a part of a frame-opening 10-0 run. Montclair State finally broke their nearly seven minute scoring drought spanning both quarters and trimmed the lead with a 3-pointer by Isabella Orlando with 5:20 to go. A layup from Brianna Montajes cut the Lions' advantage to just six with 24 seconds left, but there with another timely triple was McCleod, whose second of the afternoon made it a 34-25 game at the half.
 
Amanda Baylock and Branchizio kept TCNJ in control for much of the third quarter – a fastbreak layup from the senior built the lead back to 14 with 3:28 to go – but the Lions saw that advantage evaporate over the final three minutes. A triple from Alexis Strollo made it a nine-point game with 1:34 to go and extended what would become a quarter-ending 13-2 run to trim the lead, capped off by a 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim the lead to just one with 10 minutes to go.
 
The Red Hawks' run would extend into the final quarter, with a pair of layups from Olivia Vero and another Strollo three giving Montclair State its largest lead of the night (57-51) with six minutes left. The Lions had a response, going on an 8-0 run of their own that featured free throws from Kowalski as well as buckets from McFadden and Branchizio to retake the lead at 59-57.
 
After the sides traded buckets it was another McFadden layup giving TCNJ a 61-60 lead with 35 seconds left, but a tough layup by Alyssa Craigwell would be the final points scored on the night, with a failed play out of a Lions timeout handing TCNJ the narrow 62-61 loss.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• McFadden played a career-high 26 minutes in the loss, setting a new high water mark in scoring (13) and leading the team in rebounding for the fourth time this season.
• Kowalski paced the Lions in scoring (18) and assists (5) for the second straight game. She now leads TCNJ in both on the season, averaging 13.6 points and 3.1 assists per game.
• Branchizio added 14 points to mark her fourth straight game in double figures. The senior also hit at least four 3-pointers for the fourth consecutive game and ninth time this season.

FOR THE FOES

• Vero was unstoppable for the Red Hawks, pouring in a game-high 19 points to pair with seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
• Sophie Beneventine also stuffed the stat sheet, totaling six points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks – the second of which clinched the win for Montclair State.
• Craigwell – the second leading scorer in the NJAC – was held scoreless in the first half, but finished the game with 11 points to pair with her six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Branchizio's 14 points leave the senior just three shy of reaching 1000 for her career. Having scored at least three points in every game thus far this season, Branchizio appears likely to hit the milestone in TCNJ's next game against NJCU.
• Despite both teams committing 13 turnovers, it was Montclair State holding a 19-11 advantage in converting off of those miscues.
• Taking advantage of the size mismatch, the Red Hawks also won the battles on the glass (41-37), in second chance points (14-8) and in the paint (38-28)
• TCNJ shot just 37.1% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc while Montclair State shot 40% from the field and 21.1% from 3-point land.

UP NEXT

• The Lions are on the road to take on New Jersey City in a rematch of last season's NJAC championship. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.