WASHINGTON, D.C. ? The Monmouth University women's basketball team dropped a 67-51 decision to American University on Monday night at Bender Arena in our nation's capital.
American got off to an early 7-4 lead behind five points from forward Stephanie N'Garsanet, including a traditional three-point play to open the game's scoring at the 19:05 mark of the first half. The Eagles extended their lead to 14-4 at the 13:00 mark before a Marisa Jimenez (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) breakaway lay up ended a 9-0 American run and a five-minute Hawk scoreless drought.
Veronica Randolph (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) scored five straight points for the Hawks, including a three-point field goal from the top of the key, to cut the American lead to 24-14 at the 7:34 mark of the first half. The Hawks got the American lead back into single digits after a Brooke McElroy (Chesterfield, Va./Thomas Dale)left corner three-pointer cut the deficit to 32-23 with four minutes left before halftime.
The first half ended with Nyaimah Ware (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) pulling down a rebound off a Liz Hayes shot for American and firing a length of the court bullet pass to a streaking Jennifer Bender (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) for a lay up to beat the buzzer and cut the Eagles halftime lead to 36-26.
The Hawks were led by McElroy's nine points and seven rebounds in the first half, while Marbely Montas (Crandford, N.J./Elizabeth) and Randolph each added five points. MU shot 33.3 % for the first half, while American connected on 56 % of their first half field goals.
After a Montas lay up cut the American lead to 41-33, Hayes responded for the Eagles with a left corner three-point field goal to boost the host's lead back to double figures at 44-33 with 13:27 left in the second half. American extended their lead to 53-38 as Sahar Nusseibeh scored five straight for the Eagles, the last a put back off an offensive rebound at the 8:00 mark of the second half. Randolph knocked down consecutive three-pointers for Monmouth to cut the American lead to 57-44 with just under six minutes left in the game. American extended their lead to 65-46, their largest advantage of the game, after a Talicia Jackson bucket at the 3:00 mark of the game.
Randolph led MU with 15 points, while Montas scored a career-high 14 points. McElroy ended up with nine points and nine rebounds. The Hawks shot 30.3 % from the floor, and AU shot 52.0 % and was led by Hayes' 18 points.
Monmouth returns to action this Saturday, December 8 when they host Sacred Heart in their Northeast Conference opener at 3:00 p.m. The women's game is the opener of a doubleheader this Saturday with the Monmouth men's team, as they take on Pennsylvania University at 7:00 p.m. at Boylan Gym.
