STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Junior forward Betsy Gadziala (Whitesboro, N.Y./Whitesboro) scored all of her career-high 14 points in the first half as the Monmouth University women's basketball team held on for a 58-54 win over Lafayette in the unofficial Thanksgiving Challenge Championship game, Sunday afternoon at Wagner College's Spiro Sports Center. With the win, the Hawks improve to 2-3, including a 2-0 weekend against Lafayette (2-4) and Lehigh. Each of the other three teams in the scheduled two-game event had at least one loss on the weekend, giving the Hawks the unofficial tournament title.   

Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara) chipped in with 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, her second straight game with at least seven points, rebounds and assists.

Lafayette's Danielle Fiacco finished with a game-high 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Emily Homan also contributed 13 points and eight rebounds.

Monmouth gradually opened up a 17-point lead in the first half on the strength of Gadziala's 14 points. The advantage swelled to its largest point with 32 seconds left in the stanza when Chevannah Paalvast (Auckland, New Zealand/Massey) connected on a free throw. Another Paalvast free throw to open the second half increased the Hawks' lead to 18 points before the Leopards gradually whittled away at the advantage.

The Leopards outscored Monmouth, 24-8, over the final 11:17. Fiacco scored 12 of her 18 second-half points in the run. Two Brya Freeland free throws with 4:49 left in the second half cut the Monmouth lead to three points. But consecutive Shira Shecht (Pardessiya, Israel/Hadassim) field goals at the 4:04 and 3:25 marks re-established a seven-point Monmouth cushion. Lafayette cut the Monmouth lead to four points on Fiacco's bucket with eight seconds left, but time ran out on the Leopards and the Hawks held on for the win.

For the game, the Leopards outshot the Hawks, 36.5 percent (23-63) to 33.8 percent (22-65) from the floor and outrebounded Monmouth, 48-44. The Hawks took a 23.1 percent (3-13) to 0.0 percent (0-5) edge from long distance and a 55.0 percent (11-20) to 44.4 percent (8-18) advantage from the free-throw line.   

Monmouth returns to action Wednesday, when it travels to Greenville, N.C., to face East Carolina. Opening tip from Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m.