WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Alysha Womack's (Springfield, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) 23 points and a dominant first-half team performance propelled the Monmouth University women's basketball team past LIU Brooklyn, 68-56, in Saturday's NEC Tournament Quarterfinals at the Multipurpose Activity Center. The win is the third of the season for the Hawks (18-12) over the Blackbirds, who end the year at 21-10. Monmouth now travels to second-seeded Quinnipiac for Tuesday's semifinals.

Abby Martin (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia) posted her fourth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, while Alexis Canady (Forestville, Md./Bishop McNamara), playing on a sprained ankle, contributed 13 points, including her first three three-point attempts in the first half. Chevannah Paalvast (Auckland, New Zealand/Massey) also chipped in with eight points, a career-high five steals and two blocked shots.

Ashley Palmer led LIU with 18 points, while her six rebounds made her just the second player in NEC history to post more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Ebony Davis also added a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, while also blocking four shots.   

The Hawks established a six-point lead in the early going on the strength of three three-pointers from Canady. After LIU cut the Monmouth lead to two points, 13-11, the Hawks methodically outscored the Blackbirds, 29-12, the rest of the half to take a 19-point lead, 42-23, into the locker room at halftime. Womack led all first-half scorers with 13 points, while Canady added nine points. Davis and Palmer had seven points apiece for LIU. 

The Hawks outshot the Blackbirds, 44.1 percent (15-34) to 30.8 percent (8-26) from the floor, including a 75.0 percent (6-8) to 0.0 percent (0-4) advantage from long range. The Hawks forced 13 first-half turnovers by LIU, while committing just four turnovers of their own. Monmouth's 42 first-half points are the most by the Hawks in the first half of a game this season.

Back-to-back buckets and a free throw by Martin pushed the Monmouth advantage to 24 points, 49-25, at the 15:37 mark of the second half. But LIU quickly whittled away at the deficit. The Blackbirds scored 25 of the next 32 points to pull to within six points on Palmer's jumper at the 6:31 mark. But Gabby Singer (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) knocked down a key three-pointer with the shot clock ticking down on the next possession to refocus the Hawks. The lead jumped back to double-digits on a Martin lay-up at the 5:08 mark and the Blackbirds could get no closer than to within nine points the rest of the way.

For the game, the Hawks outshot LIU, 39.0 percent (23-59) to 36.4 percent (20-55) from the floor, including a 43.8 percent (7-16) to 0.0 percent (0-9) edge from long range. The Blackbirds took a 76.2 percent (16-21) to 68.2 percent (15-22) advantage from the free-throw line and a 42-36 edge on the boards. Monmouth forced 19 LIU Brooklyn turnovers, while committing just 11 of its own.