WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's basketball team dropped a 62-45 decision to Robert Morris in Northeast Conference play on Saturday afternoon in the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Hawks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped, fall to 9-10 overall and 4-4 in the league, while the Colonials improve to 12-7 and 7-1 in the NEC.
RMU led from tip to buzzer, building a lead as big as 23 with 11:08 left in the second half.
MU's first field goal, after starting 0-8 from the floor, came on an Adriana Allen (Ajax, Ont. /Pickering) left elbow jumper to cut the Colonials' lead to 8-4 with just less than 13 minutes to go in the game. Sophomore Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md. /Bishop McNamara) canned a right wing three to cut RMU's lead to 10-9 with 8:30 left before halftime.
Bianca Hooten buried a left corner triple for Robert Morris to put the visitor's up 17-9 with just less than seven minutes to go before the intermission. The Colonials outscored the Hawks 16-4 over the final 8:23 of the first half to take a 26-14 lead into break. Hooten led RMU, which shot 41.7% and led the entire first half, with seven points off the bench. RMU outscored the Hawks 12-2 in the paint in the opening half and 16-2 off of their 14 opening half turnovers.
The Colonials extended their lead to 43-21 at the 11:42 mark after consecutive breakaway layups from Kristine Silaraja and Angela Pace. Alysha Womack (Springfield, Pa. /Cardinal O'Hara) swished a left wing three-pointer for MU to cut Robert Morris' lead to 53-37 with 6:30 left in the contest.
Womack led MU with 16 points and nine rebounds, adding four steals and three assists. Erin Rooney (Christchurch, N.Z. /Marian College) added eight points and six rebounds, adding four assists, while Gabby Singer (Harrisburg, Pa. /Central Dauphin) and Chanel Gomez (Perth Amboy, N.J. /Perth Amboy [Brookdale]) added six points apiece.
MU connected on 26.7% (16-of-60) from the field, including 7-of-36 from three-point range.
RMU shot 51.1% from the floor and was led by Pace and Mary Durojaye, who scored 12 points apiece. A trio of Colonials, Monica Jones, Silaraja and Hooten, each scored nine points.
Monmouth returns to action on Thursday, January 28 when it travels to New Britain for a 5:00 pm tip with Central Connecticut State.
