MONTCLAIR — Montclair State Women’s Basketball (1-0) started their season off on a high note, seeing it’s highest offensive output in a single game since 2021 as the Red Hawks rolled past the Lehman College Lighting (0-1) in their season opener on Wednesday night, 97-77.
How it happened: Half one
First Quarter
The Red Hawks started the first half hot, as they came out with a 6-2 lead thanks to some good lay-ins by Alyssa Craigwell and Celina Bussanich and a pair of free throws from transfer Caldwell transfer Shayne Eldridge. Another layup by Bussanich and a long ball by Makenna Yeager pushed the lead out to 11-5. Lehman kept the game to a single-digit score before the three ball came alive for Montclair down the stretch. Eldridge connected behind the arc to spark a run of three-made deep balls to push the score out to 27-12. Samantha Philipp made a few layups at the end of the frame, including one with nine seconds remaining to help the Red Hawks command a 33-14 lead.
Second Quarter
The second quarter was more evenly matched in terms of scoring. Both squads battled back and forth in the first half of the quarter. Eventually a pair of lay-ins by Craigwell at the 4:01 mark made the score 43-27. Philipp would score seven points down the stretch, including one at the buzzer to extend the lead 56-39 at the half.
How it happened: Half two
Third Quarter
The third quarter played out very similarly to the second, as both teams battled back and forth again early. Following a shot made by Bella Bruce, the Lighting went on a 7-point stretch that nearly cut the lead to single digits. Craigwell would deny that with a converted and-one, followed by a three-point shot to extend the score 68-51. Lehman was able to score on Montclair’s defense, but the Red Hawks offense continued to deliver punch after punch and put together a 15-point lead of 78-63 at the end of the third.
Fourth Quarter
Lehman scored six of the first eight points before a pair of layups made by Philipp halted the Lightning run. Lehman attempted to rally but couldn’t get anything going as Montclair never gave them a chance as the offense continued to dominate. Montclair State had a chance to put the final nail in the coffin and throw one final 3-point shot to score an even 100 on the scoreboard. However, the Red Hawks showed mercy as they held on to the ball as the clock ran down to the final buzzer to win 97-77.
Inside the numbers
This was Montclair State’s fifth-best offensive performance in program history, just behind the 101 points the team scored against Rutgers-Camden in the opening round of that season’s NJAC Tournament.
Leading the Red Hawks tonight was Philipp who opened her senior season with a career-high 25 points. She was extra efficient from the floor, shooting 11-for-14 and 3-for-5 from three. She also added seven rebounds, (five offensive rebounds) four steals, two assists and a block to her total.
Craigwell joined Philipp in the 20+ point club with 21. She shot 76.9% from the floor (10-for-13) and added two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks to her total.
Eldridge and Bussanich round out the double-digit scorers for the Red Hawks. Bussanich scored 15 with Eldridge dropping 13. Both student athletes were also effective playmakers for their teammates, each having eight assists. Bussanich was the team’s leader in steals with five, which was a career high.
Katie Dichter notched a career-high mark as well, leading the team with 10 rebounds in the contest.
After the game, Montclair State coach Karin Harvey said in regards to her teams performance Wednesday night:
“It was a bit of a roller-coaster game, I thought we had some really amazing moments, that’s a lot of points to score, but that’s also a lot of points to give up on defense,” Harvey said, “I really like this team a lot, I love how hard they work, I love how close they are, I love how much they like each other, they’ve bonded, and they’re a lot of fun. I’m excited to see, I think that we can do pretty good.”
What’s next
Montclair State has opened their season to a hot 1-0 start, and soon they will be back in action as they will host Widener at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Panzer Athletic Center in Montclair.
