BROOKLYN, N.Y. ? The Monmouth University women's basketball team fell 58-47 to first-place Long Island Saturday afternoon in Northeast Conference action at The Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. The Hawks fall to 14-9 and 7-5 in the league, while Long Island improves to 19-5 and 12-1 in the league after winning their twelfth straight game.
The Hawks trailed 23-19 at the half before the first-place Blackbirds ran away from them in the second half when they canned six three-point field goals.
Monmouth was led by Jennifer Bender's (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) 14 points, while Marisa Jimenez (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) and Rachel Ferdinand (Califon, N.J./Voorhees) each added six points.
Monmouth trimmed the early Long Island lead to 12-8 following Jennifer Bender's first career three-point field goal from the left wing at the 14:09 mark of the first half. Brianne Edwards then canned an open jumper from the top of the key to tie the game 12-12 at the 11:12 mark of the opening stanza.
The Blackbirds retook the lead at 21-18 behind a Valerie Nainima three-point field goal and Sonya Coleman jumper at the 4:54 mark of the first half. Monmouth went into the halftime locker room trailing Long Island 23-19 as Bender led the Hawks at the half with eight points. The Hawks shot only 33 % from the floor in the first half, while holding Long Island to 29 % field-goal shooting. MU did commit 11 turnovers compared to only six by LIU in the first twenty minutes.
The Blackbirds began the second half on a 14-4 run to push their lead to 37-23 after a Mikaelar Whippy left wing three-point field goal at the 16:00 mark and a Sara Oblak lay-up.
LIU continued their hot-shooting and put the game away as they raced out to a 46-29 lead at the 9:00 mark behind consecutive three-point fields by Whippy, Nainima and Brittani Kozik.
The Hawks return to action Monday night when they travel to Staten Island, N.Y. for a 7 p.m. tip with Wagner. MU defeated the Seahawks 83-54 when the two squads faced off at Boylan Gym on January 8.
Pictured: Sophomore Jennifer Bender
