WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Despite double digit scoring efforts by Jennifer Bender (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) and Brooke McElroy (Chesterfield, Va./Thomas Dale), Monmouth University's women's basketball team was unable to keep up with a potent Robert Morris offense, losing 95-83 on Monday night at Boylan Gym.
The rebounded from numerous RMU runs during the contest, even tying the Colonials with 13:23 to play but Colonial Sade Logan almost matched a carer-high with 36 points to lead all scorers. Robert Morris's 27-11 run over the middle of the second half proved too much for the Hawks to overcome.
Monmouth scored the first four points of the second half to cut the halftime deficit to four, before RMU tallied its first points of the half. Nyaimah Ware's (Washington, D.C./Dunbar) three pointer got the Hawks to within three. A pair of Chinata Nesbit free throws gave the Colonials a 56-50 lead with 14:50 to play but McElroy nailed a three pointer to keep the Hawks within striking distance. After a key defensive stop by the Hawks, McElroy took a feed from Brianne Edwards (Bloomfield, Conn./Suffield) and hit her second consecutive from long range to tie the game at 56-56 with just over 13 minutes to play.
The Colonials then launched a 27-11 run over the next six and a half minutes as Sade Logan continued to be an imposing offensive force for the Colonials, scoring her 29th point of the night with just over seven minutes to play as RMU built a 16 point lead. The Hawks closed to within 11 on a Bender three-point play but the Robert Morris lead was too much for a possible comeback.
The Hawks got in early foul trouble but managed to take a 2-0 lead on a LaKia Barber (Clinton, Md./Gwynn Park) layup over the Colonials. Robert Morris then went on a run, out-scoring the Hawks 11-3 over the next four minutes to take a six point lead at the 15:13 mark. Bender hit a left handed layup which McElroy followed up with an inside bucket and the visitor lead was slashed to just two. The teams traded points over the next four minutes before Robert Morris rattled off seven points, including a three by Logan. With 5:30 left in the first half Marisa Jimenez (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) converted a traditional three point play to knot the game at 30-30. RMU answered with a 7-0 run but Bender kept the Hawks in it with her 14th point of the game, this one coming on a head fake and layup under the basket. Robert Morris built up an 11 point lead with time winding down but the Hawks tallied five quick points in the final 90 seconds before the Colonials headed into the lockeroom with a 47-39 lead.
McElroy led the Hawks with a career high 24 points, including a five-of-eight effort from beyond the arc. Bender finished with 23 points, one shy of her career-best. She also had 13 rebounds for the junior's sixth double-double of the season. Barber finished with 10 points in the loss as Jimenez registered nine points and six assists in the game.
Logan finished with 36 points and seven rebounds, while Nesbit added 22 points and six boards. Angela Pace had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Colonials, while Kendra Williams chipped in 12 points and six helpers in the win.
The Hawks fall to 7-14 overall (4-6 NEC) while RMU improves to 12-9 and 8-2 in conference play. The 95 points is the most let up by Monmouth in a regulation game since February 26, 1994 (100 points SFPA), while their 83 points scored was the second most in 2007-08.
Monmouth is back on the hardwood on Saturday when they host Mount St. Mary's on Girls and Women in Sports Day at Boylan Gym. Gametime is set for 3 p.m.
