Montclair Women's Basketball Highlights vs NJCU - February 26, 2021

Montclair, NJ – Senior guard TAYLOR BROWN scored 20 points while freshman guard KENDALL HODGES added 16 as Montclair State handed previously unbeaten New Jersey City its first loss with a 67-58 victory at the Panzer Athletic Center on Friday evening.

Junior guard JULIA SUTTON added 10 points, including two big three-pointers in a decisive fourth-quarter run as the Red Hawks (5-1, 5-0 NJAC) won their fifth straight in their return to action following a 13-day layoff after their weekend series with Rutgers-Newark was canceled last week.

Freshman guard Najeemah Holmes finished with 18 points for the Gothic Knights (6-1, 6-1 NJAC), which is off to the best start in school history. The Red Hawks led after each quarter but found themselves down 51-50 with five minutes to play after Damaris Rodriguez drained a straightway three-pointer. Hodges answered with a layup at the other end, however, answered that with a field goal making the score 53-52.

Sutton came up with a steal which turned into a Montclair State lead as she connected from behind the arc putting the Red Hawks up 55-53 with 3:45 to play. Sutton did it again 30 seconds later extending the lead to five. The teams traded misses over the next minute-plus but it worked to Montclair's advantage as it grabbed three offensive rebounds, taking several seconds off the clock. Brown then delivered a dagger, drilling her fifth three-pointer with 1:54 left as MSU widened the lead to 61-53.

KAYLA BUSH made one free throw for Montclair State before Zianna Goda scored on a layup with 1:14 left, snapping a three-minute scoring drought for NJCU as MSU led 62-53. The Red Hawks closed out the game making 5-of-6 at the line to finish off the 17-10 game-ending run.

Brown grabbed 12 boards for double-double performance and also added three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot. Hodges also had three assists. Bush, honored along with Brown and assistant coach Nikki Stevens on Senior Night, added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Rodriguez totaled 10 for NJCU in addition to seven assists. Sarah Edmond and Ayanna Lewis had eight points apiece.

The two teams close out the regular season with the backend of the home-and-home series on Saturday, February 27 in Jersey City with tipoff set for Noon.