FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11/20/2006
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Monmouth University senior
Charisse Johnson (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Hawks a 62-61 comeback win over in-state rival Saint Peter's on Monday night at Boylan Gym. The win is Monmouth's second in a row and improves the Hawks to 2-1 on the young season.
"I saw an opening and got the ball," said Johnson. "Once I released it, I knew it was good," she said.
Trailing 61-56 with three seconds remaining, junior
Brianne Edwards (Bloomfield, Conn./Suffield Academy) cut the Peacocks' lead to two, 61-59, by connecting on a three of her own. St. Peter's then turned the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play which set-up Johnson's game-winner.
Despite trailing the entire first half, and by as many as fifteen, the Hawks were able to cut the Peacocks' lead to eleven at halftime, 33-22.
The Blue and White began the second half with an 8-0 run and took their first lead of the game at the 6:13 mark as junior
Nyaimah Ware (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) connected on a jump shot to give the Hawks a 43-42 lead.
"We did a great job on defense in the second half," said head coach
Michelle Baxter. "I thought that we struggled in the first half and I told our girls that we're in this game at halftime and that we have to come out and play defense."
Sophomore
Jennifer Bender (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) recorded her first career double-double with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds, both game highs.
The Hawks outscored St. Peter's 40-28 in the second half and doubled up the Peacocks with 28 points in the paint. The Blue and White's bench combined for 25 points as the score was tied six times and the lead changed five during the game.
Edwards was the only Hawk other than Bender to score in double figures as she contributed 11 points, including going 6-of-6 from the foul line. Saint Peter's was led by Natasha Morris's 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Hawks return to action when they travel to Cancun, Mexico to participate in the Caribbean Classic. They take on Marshall in their first game on Thursday, November 23 at 3:30 p.m. central time.
