WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's basketball team defeated first-place Saint Francis University, 60-51, in a pivotal Northeast Conference game on Monday evening at the Multipurpose Activity Center.
The Hawks, who seized control of the game with a 14-2 run to begin the second half, were lead by Erin Rooney (Christchurch, N.Z. /Marian College) and Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md. /Bishop McNamara), who each scored 14 points. Rooney added a season-high seven assists and four steals, while Canady connected on four three's and pulled down eight rebounds.
MU (19-8, 11-5 NEC), which outscored the Red Flash (17011, 12-4 NEC) 36-24 after halftime, led by as many as 15 points with 7:37 remaining in the second half. Abby Martin (Maplewood, N.J. /Columbia) added 13 points and eight boards for Monmouth, which kept pace in the hunt for a home game in the upcoming NEC Tournament.
With their 19 wins, the Hawks have now won their most games in a season since the 1987-88 campaign.
MU took a 10-7 lead with 12:09 left in the first half after Rooney converted an end-to-end lay-up. The Hawks pushed their advantage to 17-10 with 9:22 remaining in the opening period after Adriana Allen (Ajax, Ont. /Pickering) drove the right baseline and used the glass for a deuce.
After Saint Francis cut Monmouth's lead to one possession, Martin hit an up-and-under post move to give the Blue and White a 24-20 advantage with 2:28 left in the first half. Samantha Leach gave the Red Flash a one-point lead, and Brittany Lilley pushed the visitor's lead to 27-24 on its ensuing possession at halftime.
The Hawks regained the lead, aided by a 14-2 scoring run to begin the second half, at 38-29 with 14:15 left in regulation. Saint Francis responded with a run of its own, but a Martin lay-in and Rooney triple stretched MU's lead back to 46-37 with 9:35 left in the second half.
MU converted Saint Francis' 25 turnovers into 22 points, while assisting on 16 of its 25 made field goals. The Hawks shot 44.4% (24-54) from the floor, while SFU hit 41.2% (21-of-51).
SFU, which dropped its second straight league game, was paced by Lilley's 14 points.
MU returns to action on Saturday when it visits Sacred Heart for a 1:00 pm tip.
