HAMDEN, Conn. - The Monmouth University women's basketball team defeated Quinnipiac University, 62-56 in Northeast Conference play in its 2010-11 regular season finale on Monday evening at the TD Bank Sports Center. With the win, MU clinched the second seed in the upcoming NEC Tournament and will take on the Bobcats (14-15, 11-7 NEC), who finished seventh, on Saturday at a time to be determined.
The Hawks end the regular season with a 21-8 overall record and a 13-5 mark in league play. MU's 21 triumphs are its most in program history since claiming 23 victories in 1986-87, and it represents the third highest single-season win total in team history.
Alysha Womack (Springfield, Pa. /Cardinal O'Hara) led four Hawks in double figures with 17 points, while Erin Rooney (Christchurch, N.Z. /Marian College) and Abby Martin (Maplewood, N.J. /Columbia) each contributed 14 points. Martin added nine rebounds while Rooney chipped in with eight boards and five assists. Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md. /Bishop McNamara) added 10 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Hawks.
Womack canned a three-pointer and a jumper to put MU up 58-49 with less than two minutes to go. With MU up 59-54 with less than 20 seconds left, Rooney blocked Alyssa Jann's three-point attempt and proceeded to hit one of two free throws.
Six early points from Rooney helped Monmouth get out to a 12-6 lead with seven minutes gone by in the first half. Rooney and Martin combined for 16 points as the Hawks took a 20-12 lead halfway through the first period.
Canady swished through a pair of triples, sandwiched around a Womack three, to give the Hawks a 33-22 advantage with 3:20 left in the opening half.
The Hawks assumed a 37-26 halftime lead behind 29 combined points (on 14-of-21 shooting) from Martin (10), Rooney (10) and Womack (9). MU shot 53.1% in the first half while turning Quinnipiac's 13 turnovers into 14 points.
The Hawks continued to hold a double-digit lead at 44-32 with 14:58 left in the second half. A pair of baskets from QU's Jacinda Dunbar helped cut Monmouth's lead to 46-38 with 11:27 remaining in the second half. Courtney Kaminkski converted a traditional three-point play to cut Monmouth's lead to 48-47 with seven minutes left in the contest.
Gena Broadus (Washington, D.C. /Archbishop Carroll [George Mason]) drilled a baseline jumper and Rooney buried a three-pointer to increase MU's lead to 53-47 with less than four minutes to go.
