EWING, N.J. - The TCNJ women's basketball team celebrated its seniors in dominant fashion Saturday afternoon, putting on an offensive showcase to cruise to a 95-55 win over New Jersey City.
Cassidy Brown led all scorers with a career-high 17 points off the bench, with
Katie Fricker (15),
Grace Kowalski (15),
Amanda Baylock (11) and
Maddie Bernhardt (10) joining the sophomore in double figures. Kowalski added a season-high eight helpers without committing a turnover, while Fricker paired her scoring output with a career-best 14 rebounds to secure her second double-double in three games.
It was a dream start for the Lions' (8-8, 7-2 NJAC) senior trio that saw
Myah Hourigan-Hutton pass the opening tip to
Olivia Magee who found a cutting Fricker for the game's opening points. Hourigan-Hutton got herself on the board with an offensive rebound and putback two minutes later to put TCNJ up 7-2 before the hosts went on a decisive 17-4 run in a four-minute span to balloon its lead to 18 at 24-6.
The Lions shot a perfect 7-for-7 during their decisive run, getting triples from
Riley Ahrens and
Amanda Baylock – twice – before trading buckets over the final 1:40 to take a 31-15 lead into the break.
TCNJ saw its offense stall a bit following a Kowalski triple to open the second quarter, but checking in and taking over was Brown, who poured in eight points as part of an extended 18-7 run that put the Lions up by as much as 30 before an NJCU free throw sent TCNJ into halftime up 54-25.
The Gothic Knights threatened to make a comeback in the third quarter, going on a 16-5 run of their own to get within 21 at 62-41. There with the answer once again, however, was Brown, whose third 3-pointer of the night kickstarted a quarter-ending 13-2 burst that was capped off by a pair of fastbreak lay-ins from Bernhardt and Baylock to build the lead back to 75-43 with 10 minutes to go.
An 8-0 run midway through Saturday's final frame saw the Lions hold their largest lead of the night at 43 before taking their foot off the gas, with a
Reghan Bice 3-pointer serving as TCNJ's final points in a 95-55 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Lions shot 49.3 percent (33-of-67) from the field, a season-best 46.7 percent (14-of-30) from deep and 62.5 percent (15-of-24) at the free throw line.
- NJCU was held to 36.4 percent (20-of-55) from the floor, 27.8 percent (5-of-18) from beyond the arc and 90.9 percent (9-of-10) from the charity stripe.
- TCNJ held a commanding 42-26 lead on the glass, turning 16 offensive boards into 18 second-chance points.
- The Lions dominated points off turnovers (24-10), bench points (46-11) and points in the paint (36-18).
STANDOUT LIONS
- Brown shot an efficient 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-7 from deep en route to her 17 points.
- Fricker stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
- Kowalski's 15 points and eight assists are both season-best marks.
- Hourigan-Hutton posted four points, five rebounds and two assists.
- Magee – making her first collegiate start – finished with four points, three boards and two assists.
FOR THE FOES
- Meghan Gentile (17P/9R) and Autumn John (10P/9R) narrowly missed out on double-doubles.
NOTES
- The Lions' 95 points are the program's most since scoring 114 against Rutgers-Camden in 2023.
- TCNJ's 40-point margin of victory is its largest in the series since 2018
UP NEXT
- The Lions are on the road Wednesday, Jan. 21 for a rematch against William Paterson, with tip scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
