MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. ? The Monmouth University women's basketball team dropped a closely contested league game, 61-55 to two-time defending Northeast Conference tournament champion Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon at the Sewall Center. The loss, which snaps MU's five-game winning streak, evens up Monmouth's record at 10-10 and 5-5 in the league. The Colonials have now won six straight to improve to 11-10 overall and 8-2 in the league.
After the contest went back and forth for the majority of the game, RMU stretched their lead to 55-49 with just over two minutes to go. Monmouth freshman Alexis Scott (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) stepped up and drilled a three-pointer from the right wing to cut the lead to one possession with 1:55 to go. After Jennifer Bender (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) hit a free throw to cut the Colonials' lead to 57-55 with 1:04 left in the game, MU came up with a defensive stop but couldn't capitalize on the ensuing possession and RMU's Kendra Williams hit a pair of free throws to extend its lead to 59-55 with 20.4 seconds left.
The Hawks took an early 11-10 lead after senior Jennifer Bender converted a traditional three-point play with 10:32 left in the first half. The senior from Staten Island extended Monmouth's narrow lead to 17-14 with a lay in at the 6:37 mark of the opening half. MU's lead was stretched to 23-16 after Bender continued her stellar first half with a slash to the basket and a score with 2:10 to go before halftime.
Robert Morris made a late first half run and cut Monmouth's lead to 25-23 at halftime. Bender paced the Hawks with nine points in the first half while Scott and senior LaKia Barber (Clinton, Md./Gwynn Park) each added six. Senior Marisa Jimenez (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) contributed five rebounds and three assists in the first half for MU.
Both teams shot 33.3% from the floor in the opening half as the Hawks hit 10-of-30 field goals and the Colonials connected on 8-of-24. MU outrebounded Robert Morris 22-15 in the first 20 minutes, including 9-3 on the offensive glass.
RMU regained the lead at 31-30 after Latavia Vails drilled a three from straight away at the 15:45 mark of the second half. The Hawks took a brief 34-33 lead after a Bender floater in the lane, but RMU regained a two-point lead on the ensuing possession after Sade Logan canned a three with 12:02 left in the game. The Colonials maintained their two-point lead at 45-43 after Kendra Williams scored in the lane with 7:46 left in the game.
Bender led the way for MU with her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Barber added 13 points and Scott chipped in with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. Jimenez scored six points, pulled down five rebounds and dished out a team-high four assists in the game. MU shot 32.8% for the game while Robert Morris hit 39.2% of its field goals. RMU was paced by Logan, who scored a game-high 21 points, and Williams, who added 19 points and seven rebounds.
Monmouth returns to action on Monday, February 2 when they visit Saint Francis University for a 7:00 pm tip in Loretto, Pa.
