WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's basketball team came back and defeated La Salle, 57-49 to the win the championship of the inaugural Hawk Holiday Classic presented by Staybridge Suites and Hotels on Wednesday evening in the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Hawks, who trailed by 17 points at the half, improve to 5-6 on the season after sweeping both games of their tournament, while the Explorers fall to 4-9.
The Hawks were paced by freshman Gabby Singer (Harrisburg, Pa. /Central Dauphin), who was named to the All-Tournament Team, with a career-high 17 points, including hitting 4-of-6 from three-point range. Singer hit the biggest shot of the tournament when she hit a three to give MU its first lead of the night with 6:24 left on a left wing three-pointer. Sophomore Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md. /Bishop McNamara), the tournament's Most Valuable Player, totaled 23 points, six rebounds and six assists in the two games, and added seven against the Explorers.
After trailing by as many as 19 points late in the first half, the Hawks knotted the contest at 45-45 at the eight-minute mark after a jumper from freshman Alysha Womack (Springfield, Pa. /Cardinal O'Hara). Canady gave Monmouth a two-point lead after hitting a free throw to make the score 51-49 two minutes later.
This marks Monmouth's second Holiday Tournament crown in as many years under head coach Stephanie V. Gaitley. Last season, Gaitley led the Hawks to the title at the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic in El Paso, Texas.
La Salle raced out to an 8-0 lead, capped by a jumper by Jamie Walsh with 16:33 left in the first half. The Hawks got on the board when freshman Erin Rooney (Christchurch, N.Z. /Marian College) canned a right wing jumper and fellow newcomer Singer, who made her first start of the season, hit a three to cut the Explorer's lead to 14-5 with just less than 15 minutes to go before halftime.
Freshman Carly Thibault (East Lyme, Conn. /East Lyme) then helped MU further cut into La Salle's first half lead at 20-13 with a traditional three-point play and driving lay-in with just over nine minutes left before the half.
La Salle's lead swelled after a three-pointer from Ashley Gale and a jumper from Morgan Robertson to make it 30-16 with just less than four minutes left before intermission. The Explorers took a 35-18 lead into the half, paced by 13 points from Robertson. LU shot 54.5% (12-of-22) from the field in the first half, while outrebounding MU 18-8 in the opening half.
The Hawks came out of the halftime locker room on a 6-0 scoring run to cut La Salle's lead to 35-24 after Womack drilled a left wing jumper with 16:16 left in the game. Singer continued the Monmouth comeback with consecutive three's, cutting the visitor's lead to 39-34, with just less than 14 minutes left in the contest. MU drew to within a basket at 45-43 with 8:33 left in the game after consecutive hoops from freshman Adriana Allen (Ajax, Ont. /Pickering).
Thibault added 11 points in the game for MU, including 4-of-5 free throws and a three-pointer. Allen contributed 10 points and five rebounds for the Hawks, who shot 55.6% (15-of-27) in the second half en route to outscoring La Salle in the second 20 minutes 39-14.The Explorers shot 25% (6-of-24) in the second half and were led by Robertson's 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, January 2 when they host Quinnipiac at 3:00 pm as part of a Northeast Conference doubleheader with the men, who host the Bobcats at 7:00 pm.
2009 Hawk Holiday Classic presented by Staybridge Suites and Hotels Tournament Places
Champion-Monmouth
Second Place-La Salle
Third Place-Howard
Fourth Place-Holy Cross
Tournament MVP
MVP (Monmouth)--#22 Alexis Canady
All-Tournament Team
Monmouth--#5 Gabby Singer
La Salle--#31 Morgan Robertson
La Salle--#24 Jamie Walsh
Howard--#13 Saadia Doyle
Holy Cross--#21 Meredith Ward
