Cranford, NJ – Congratulations to the UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ Women’s BasketballTeam who will be competing in the 2024 National Junior Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Women’s Basketball Championship. UCNJ defeated Niagara County Community College on March 9 with a score of 72-57 to become the EastADistrict Champions securing their spot in the national tournament which was held in Joplin, Missouri from March 18-23.

Before earning their title as East A District Champions, the Lady Owls won the NJCAA 2024 Region XIX Championship. This was a highly anticipated rematch of the 2023 Region XIX Final, with UCNJ emerging victorious against Harcum College. In the Region XIX Championship, UCNJ’s Khila Morris led all scorers with 26 points and earned the prestigious Region XIX Rose Battaglia Player of the Year award.

Head Coach Marbely Montas (UCNJ ‘07) was also named NJCAA Region XIX Coach of the Year for the sixth consecutive year. In 2011, Coach Montas returned to UCNJ asAssistant Coach and became the Head Coach for the 2017-2018 season. Since then, the team has had seven Region XIX Tournament appearances.

“The UCNJ community is thrilled with the performance of the Women’s Basketball Team this season. Their dedication and unwavering team spirit has earned them a ticket to nationals and recognition as region and district champions. We look forward to seeing their performance at the national tournament and hope to add another trophy to our wall,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.

UCNJ is a public, comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to a Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research Hub. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top 25 community colleges in the country for 2023 as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more, visit www.ucc.edu