WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Senior Chanel Gomez (Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy
[Brookdale C.C.]) scored the game-winning bucket off an inbounds play with 0.9
seconds left as the Monmouth University women's basketball team defeated LIU
Brooklyn, 55-54, on Senior Day Saturday at the Multipurpose Activity Center.
With the win, the Hawks move closer to clinching a home game in the upcoming
NEC Tournament at 16-12 (11-6 NEC). The Blackbirds fall to 20-9 (9-8 NEC) with
the loss.
Alysha Womack (Springfield,
Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) led all scorers with 24 points, while Gomez added 11
points and eight rebounds. Gena Broadus (Washington, D.C./Archbishop Carroll
[George Mason]) added six points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Hawks.
Ashley Palmer paced the
Blackbirds with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Ebony Davis added 13 points
and seven rebounds. Kiara Evans had six points, nine assists, seven rebounds
and four assists for LIU.
A back-and-forth first half
that saw nine lead changes ended with the Hawks clinging to a one-point lead,
26-25. Womack led all scorers with 15 points, while Palmer paced LIU with nine
points. The Blackbirds established their largest lead, 16-9, with 8:37 left in
the initial stanza. But a 7-0 Monmouth run, capped by Shira Shecht's
(Pardessiya, Israel/Hadassim) three-pointer at the 4:22 mark, gave the Hawks a
one-point lead. The teams exchanged the lead on each of the next four made
baskets, the last of which was Gomez's lay-up with 38 seconds left.
Six more lead changes came in
the second half. On three occasions, LIU built a five-point cushion before the
Hawks went on a 9-0 run, led by four points from Broadus, to take a four-point
lead with 6:07 left in regulation. The lead remained four points after Womack's
lay-up with 3:09 remaining, but Palmer cut the deficit to one with a
three-pointer at the 2:11 mark. She'tiarra Pledger's second-chance bucket in
the paint gave LIU a 54-53 lead with 34 seconds left. In spite of the Hawks' turnover
on the other end, Evans missed the front end of a one-and-one, leaving the LIU
advantage at one point.
With just four team fouls
charged to it in the second half, LIU employed a fouling scheme away from the ball
in the final 17 seconds. After the second foul gave MU the ball out of bounds
underneath the basket with 2.3 seconds left, MU Head Coach Jenny Palmateer
subbed in Gomez and drew up the game-winning play. Gomez rolled to the basket
and Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara) lofted the ball over the
defense to Gomez on the interior. Gomez laid it up and in for the game-winner
with just 0.9 seconds remaining. LIU had to settle for a three-quarter court
heave that fell harmlessly to the hardwood as time expired.
For the game, the
Hawks outshot LIU, 41.5 percent (22-53) to 32.3 percent (21-65) from the floor,
41.7 percent (5-12) to 10.0 percent (1-10) from long range and 75.0 percent
(6-8) to 73.3 percent (11-15) from the free-throw line. LIU took a 43-35 edge
on the boards and doubled up the Hawks, 36-18, on points in the paint.
The Hawks conclude
regular-season action Monday, when they play host to St. Francis (N.Y.). Opening
tip from the MAC is scheduled for 7 p.m.
