WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's basketball team defeated St. Francis College, 66-44 in a Northeast Conference game on Monday evening at the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Hawks (15-6, 7-3 NEC) never relinquished its lead against the Terriers in winning for the fourth time in their last five games.
Erin Rooney (Christchurch, N.Z. /Marian College) led three Hawks in double-figures with 15 points, adding five rebounds and a team-best four assists. Alysha Womack (Springfield, Pa. /Cardinal O'Hara) contributed 14 points and seven rebounds, while Abby Martin (Maplewood, N.J. /Columbia) went a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in scoring 10 points.
Rooney sank a triple from the right wing to put the Hawks up 8-5 with five minutes gone by in the first half. Carly Thibault (East Lyme, Conn. /East Lyme) was inserted into the contest and promptly drilled a long two-pointer, and Gena Broadus (Washington, D.C. /Archbishop Carroll [George Mason]) followed with a baseline deuce of her own to give MU a 17-10 lead with 10:26 remaining in the opening half.
Womack gave Monmouth a 28-12 lead with a three-pointer, her second of the first period, from the top of the key with 6:25 left before the half. Autumn Lau buried a three for the Terriers to cut MU's lead to 38-26 with around a minute to go before intermission.
The Hawks took that 12-point advantage into the half behind 12 points from Womack and 14 second-chance points as they outrebounded the Terriers, 24-12, including 12-3 on the offensive glass.
Martin converted a traditional three-point play to give the Blue and White a 47-28 lead with 15:53 left in regulation. Shira Shect (Pardessiya, Israel /Hadassim) swished through a three-pointer to extend the Hawks' lead to 57-30 nine minutes into the second half.
In all, 11 Hawks scored and 12 grabbed at least a rebound in the win. The Hawks outrebounded SFC 45-30 and outscored the Brooklyn school 24-6 on second-chance points.
St. Francis, which was led by Jasmin Robinson's 10 points, shot 36.4% for the game.
Monmouth returns to action on Saturday when it visits Staten Island for a 4:00 pm contest at Wagner.
