MONTCLAIR, N.J. –The Albright Lions women's basketball team was unable to withstand a second half surge by Montclair State in the Championship Game of the Montclair State Holiday Tournament as they dropped a 74-61 contest on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the loss, the Lions fall to 7-5 on the season and finish runner-up in the holiday tournament after defeating No. 1/2 Tufts last night. Meanwhile, the host Red Hawks improve to 11-1 on the season and have now won nine straight games.
 
Seniors Devan Horka and Alysha Lofton were named to the All-Tournament team behind two strong performances on the weekend. Lofton led Albright on Saturday with a team-high 18 points in addition to five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Horka tallied her second double-double in three games behind 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Zaria Mohamed registered a career-high 11 points off the bench along with six rebounds, while senior Jane Joyce dished out a game-high seven assists.
 
Both teams traded baskets in the early portion of the game with seven lead changes in the first five minutes of the game. The Lions reached their largest lead of the quarter at 14-10 with 3:40 left in the first following a 7-2 run and found themselves tied with the Red Hawks at 17 by the end of the first quarter. Lofton began a 9-2 Albright run to open the second quarter with a layup to give the Lions a 26-19 lead with 7:40 left in the first half. Albright stretched its lead to the largest of the game at 38-27 with 2:07 left in the first half following a Lofton three-pointer, but were unable to keep momentum going as the Red Hawks outscored them 6-2 in the final minutes of the half.
 
Up 40-33 headed into the second half, the Lions fell behind 44-42 at the 6:31-mark following a Red Hawks 11-2 run to open the third quarter. The teams traded baskets for just under five minutes before Montclair State took control with seven unanswered points to close out the third quarter after trailing 50-48 to take a 55-50 lead. Horka would cut the Red Hawks lead down to five with at 58-53 with 7:58 left in the game, but that would be as close as the Lions would get for the rest of the game. Montclair State took control of the game with a 9-2 run that extended the Red Hawk lead out to 67-55 with 4:21 left in the game. Lofton would break a 5:36 drought without a field goal with a layup at the 2:22-mark but the Red Hawks closed the game out by going 5-of-6 from the free throw line to seal the win.
 
The Lions shot 37.3 percent (22-of-59) from the field after going just 8-of-30 (26.7 %) in the second half. Albright went 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from beyond the arc and a solid 13-of-15 (86.7%) from the free throw lie. However, the Lions were outrebounded for just the third time this season at 36-33. The Red Hawks shot 46.4 percent (26-of-56) from the field and just 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. Montclair State went 20-of-23 (87%) from the charity stripe and posted 40 points in the paint.
 
Tournament MVP Katie Sire led the Red Hawks by posting a double-double behind 27 points on 12-of-19 from the field and 12 rebounds. Katie Tobie also earned All-Tournament team honors and tallied 20 points on 6-of-11 from the field along with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Taylor Harmon posted 12 points, three assists, and two rebounds for the Red Hawks in the win.
 
Albright will return to MAC Commonwealth play on Wednesday, Jan. 3^rd as they will travel to face Hood for an 8 p.m. tipoff.