WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Junior wing Chevannah Paalvast (Auckland, New Zealand/Massey) scored a career-high 16 points and added a team-high four assists as the Monmouth University women's basketball team defeated Norfolk State, 69-62, Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the 2011 Hawk Holiday Classic at the Multipurpose Activity Center. With the win, the Hawks improve to 4-8 on the season, while Norfolk State falls to 5-6.

Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara) added 13 points for the Hawks, while Gabby Singer (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) had a season-high 11 points. Gena Broadus (Washington, D.C./Archbishop Carroll [George Mason]) contributed eight points and a team-high eight rebounds and Abby Martin (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia) chipped in with six points and seven rebounds. Alysha Womack (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) returned from injury after missing the year's first 11 games and scored eight points in 19 minutes off the bench.

Batavia Owens led Norfolk State with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Rae Corbo also scored in double figures with 10 points. Recca Trice dished out a game-high six assists and made four steals.  

A first half of runs ended appropriately with a 6-0 Hawks spurt to put Monmouth on top, 6-0, at the break. The Hawks scored nine of the first 13 points in the game, before Norfolk State responded with an 8-1 run near the midway point of the half to take a 19-15 lead. Five lead changes later, consecutive buckets from Paalvast, Canady and Martin gave the Hawks a 6-0 run and a five-point edge at the half, 31-26. Canady led the Hawks with eight points at the half, while Brooks countered with seven points for the Spartans.

The Spartans tied the game twice in the second half, but the Hawks quickly regained the lead each time. After NSU scored six straight points to tie the game at 34-34 with 16:52 remaining, the Hawks scored the next four points on a pair of Paalvast buckets and increased the advantage to as many as nine points on two occasions. But an 8-0 Spartans run, capped by two Tia Moore free throws at the 4:40 mark tied the game at 53-53. The Hawks then scored nine of the next 10 points to reopen an eight-point lead. NSU made it interesting once again with a 6-0 run, but the Hawks converted 7-of-8 free throws in the final minute of play to put the game away.

For the game, the Hawks were narrowly outshot, 36.9 percent (24-65) to 36.8 percent (21-57) from the floor, but took a decided advantage in three-point and free-throw shooting. Monmouth took a 21.4 percent (3-14) to 9.1 percent (1-11) edge from long range and an 80.0 percent (24-30) to 56.5 percent (13-23) advantage from the charity stripe. The Hawks committed just 13 turnovers, two fewer than the Spartans (15). The Hawks are now 4-0 when committing fewer turnovers than the opposition this season. By contrast, they are 0-8 when turning the ball over more than their opponent. NSU took a 45-42 edge on the boards.     

Hawk Holiday Classic action concludes tomorrow, when Monmouth takes on the winner of Thursday's second game between St. Bonaventure and Villanova, both of whom are currently receiving votes in the national polls. Opening tip will come 30 minutes following the 2 p.m. consolation game.