Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Senior guard Kendra Johnson's 3-point jumper from the top of the key with 7.7 seconds left lifted Rutgers-Newark to a 73-72 win over Montclair State in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for each team in The Golden Dome Arena.

Johnson, who finished with 17 points, missed a trey with 14 seconds left, but Scarlet Raider sophomore guard ShaQuanna Marshall, who notched game highs of 24 points and seven steals, knifed through the middle of the lane for the rebound and kicked the ball back to Johnson for the game winning shot.  The Raiders improved to 5-0 overall.

In a nip-and-tuck second half, there were five ties and 10 lead changes before Johnson's dagger which set off a wild celebration on the Raider bench.

After a 30-second timeout, MSU freshman guard Jenny Malone got away a long jumper at the buzzer which was just long and left of its target.

Freshman forward Melissa Tobie, who paced the Red Hawks (2-3, NJAC 0-1) with 17 points and six rebounds, knotted the score for the final time at 70-70 with a layup with 2:07 left.  After each team missed chances to score, Tobie was fouled by Marshall and dropped in a pair of free throw with 25 seconds left to set up the frantic final seconds.

Marshall, who like Johnson netted a dozen points in the second half, made up for her turnover by racing into the middle of the lane from the right side to snare the rebound as time was running out.

Senior guard Brittany Smith scored all 10 of her points in the first half when the Raiders battled for a 38-36 tie despite 50% (12-24) by the Red Hawks.  Smith hauled down seven rebounds to share team honors with freshman forward Jade Howard who also tallied seven points, an assist, a steal and a block.

Senior forward Lori Nieves chipped in eight points, five rebounds and four assists for the Raiders.

MSU's bench out-scored their counterparts, 37-16, with junior guard Taylor Jeffers contributing 15 points and senior guard Jamie Ericson posting 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for the visitors.

At 5-0, the Raiders are off to their second best start during head coach Kevin Morris' 11-year tenure.  Rutgers-Newark started last season 7-0.

Rutgers-Newark hosts Rutgers-Camden in an NJAC doubleheader on Saturday in The Golden Dome.  The women tip off at 6 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 8.