BROOKLYN, N.Y. ? The Monmouth University women's basketball team clinched a berth in the 2009 Northeast Conference Tournament with a 50-44 win over Long Island at the Wellness and Recreation Center on Monday evening. The Hawks improve to 14-11 overall and 8-6 in the league while Long Island falls to 7-18 and 2-12 in the conference.
After MU led for the majority of the contest, there would be six lead changes in the final 7:27 of the game. Chelsi Johnson gave the Blackbirds a 44-43 lead with 1:59 left, but Monmouth's LaKia Barber (Clinton, Md./Gwynn Park) put the Hawks up for good on the ensuing possession with a strong drive and basket of her own. The senior would add an insurance hoop after the Hawks got a defensive stop to push the lead to 47-44 with 44 seconds left, and MU would not look back.
Monmouth led for the entire first half and its lead would grow to as many as 10 in the second half before the Blackbirds took their first lead with 7:27 left in the game.
The Hawks would assume an early 10-2 lead after freshman Alexis Canady (Forestvile, Md. /Bishop McNamara) scored off an assist from senior Marisa Jimenez (Careret, N.J./Carteret) at the 13:24 mark of the first half. MU's advantage would remain at eight at 16-8 after Jimenez found freshman Alexis Scott (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) down low for the hoop with 6:16 left before halftime.
LIU ended the half on an 8-4 run as Monmouth went into the locker room with a 20-16 lead. The Hawks' cushion would increase to as large as 10 at 34-24 with 11:35 left in the game after a Canady jumper. Long Island's Ashley Palmer then went on a personal 6-0 scoring run and Johnson added a lay in to cut the lead to 34-33 with 8:18 left in the game. After the Blackbirds tied the contest their next time down the floor with a free throw from Marika Sprow, the lead would change hands six times over the final seven and a half minutes.
With MU trailing 42-41 with 3:48 left in the game, senior Laura Forbes (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) hit a pair of free throws to put the Hawks in front by one, setting up Johnson and Barber's late baskets. Two free throws from Barber and one from senior Jennifer Bender (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) would ice the win for MU down the stretch.
The Blue and White were paced by Scott's 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Barber added 12 points and seven rebounds while Bender contributed nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Jimenez added eight points, four rebounds and four assists for the Hawks, who shot 40% for the game. The Hawks outrebounded the Blackbirds 39-26 and 14-4 on the offensive glass. Long Island shot 36.4% for the game and was paced by Johnson's 15 points and seven rebounds. Palmer added 14 points and nine boards.
Monmouth qualifies for the league postseason tournament for the seventh straight season with the win, and the 15th time in the last 16 years. The Hawks return to action on Saturday, February 21 when they visit first-place Sacred Heart at 2:00 pm.
