WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Backed by senior Jennifer Bender's (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) career-high 35 points, the Monmouth women's basketball team earned a 77-69 victory at home over Robert Morris on Monday Night. The Hawks, who scored a season-high in points in the game, improve to 15-12 and 9-7 in the NEC with the win while the Colonials fall to 13-15 and 9-7 in the league. The win also snaps RMU's eight-game winning streak versus Monmouth.
Down by 12 with just over a minute to go, Robert Morris' Kendra Williams drilled a three pointer to cut the lead to nine. After a pair of missed free throws, RMU converted a fast break layup and Monmouth's lead sat at 73-66 with 51 seconds to play. The Colonials would never get closer than eight points.
Sade Logan broke the halftime tie 40 seconds into the second frame with a three pointer from the arc to give her squad a 39-36 lead. A pair of Bender jumpshots from the baseline put the Hawks ahead by one but a traditional three point play by Williams regained the lead for RMU. LaKia Barber's (Clifton, N.J./Gwynn Park) 18 footer with just over 14 minutes to play gave the Hawks a 46-44 lead which ballooned to six points after four consecutive Bender points.
A Marisa Jimenez (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) layup at 11:27 pushed the MU lead to 55-47 as the Hawks continued to force turnovers and hit free throws eventually building a nine point lead with less than eight to play in the half. A Williams three ball sliced the MU lead to eight but Barber's 14th point of the evening gave Monmouth a 10 point lead, its largest of the game. Each time the Colonials were able to score, the Hawks answered back, much of the time with Bender hitting from all over the floor.
RMU sprinted out to a 6-2 lead but Barber hit two free throws capped a 7-2 run and gave MU their first lead of the game at the 14:16 mark. RMU forward Monet Johnson hit back to back layups to give the Colonials a 12-9 advantage. The team's traded bucket s and the lead over the next five minutes before RMU scored on two straight possessions to earn a 22-18 lead with 6:33 left in the first.
Down by five with 2:49 to play, Scott lined up and drilled a three pointer to slash RMU's lead to 32-28 before Johnson netted her 17th point of the half on a right side layup. Bender answered on the other end with a jumper but the hot shooting Colonials built a four point lead with less than a minute left. The Hawks were able to knot the game going into halftime after Bender hit four straight free throws after a technical foul followed a RMU personal foul with 3.1 seconds left.
Bender's 35 points were the most scored by a Monmouth player since Niamh Dwyer scored 31 at Saint Francis University in February 2005. It was also the first time a player's scored at least 35 in a game for MU since Amanda Rosato did it against Wagner in January of 1999. Bender was 15-of-21 from the charity stripe, which ties her for the third most in a game in MU history. Her 10 boards gave her a double-double for the seventh time this season and 22nd time in her career. Barber finished with 14 points on the night and Alexis Scott added 16 points including three three-pointers.
Williams led the Colonials with 25 points, while Johnson had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Logan also scored in double digits with 13 in the loss. MU attempted 43 free throws on the night while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor. RMU earned the edge on the glass to the tune of 36-33.
Monmouth is back in action for the final regular season home game in Boylan Gym on Saturday, February 28 when they host Wagner at 3:30 p.m.
