Box Score WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Jenny Horvatinovic (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion Area) scored a career-high 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds and made three steals as the Monmouth University women's basketball team outlasted Iona, 75-74, in double overtime Sunday afternoon at the Multipurpose Activity Center. With the win, the Hawks improve to 4-3 (1-1 MAAC), while the Gaels fall to 3-5 (1-1 MAAC).

Jasmine Walker (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) knocked down the game-winning free throw with 1.5 seconds left in the second overtime to finish with nine points and six rebounds. Christina Mitchell (Baltimore, Md./MATHS) posted her second double-double of the season with a career-high 15 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. Helena Kurt (Spanga, Sweden/Igelstavikens Gymnasium) added 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. Jamiyah Bethune (Union, N.J./Union [Penn State]) scored nine points in her first-career start.

Aaliyah Robinson led Iona with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Marina Lizarazu added 16 points and a game-high six assists. Joy Adams was a thorn in the Hawks' side all day with 15 points and 26 rebounds, including 15 on the offensive glass. Damika Martinez also contributed a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, but finished well off her league-leading 25.7 points per game average and turned the ball over a game-high seven times.

“I'm so excited and so proud of our kids for being able to pull that one out,” said Monmouth Head Coach Jenny Palmateer. “It was a game where points didn't come easy for us. I felt like we got the looks that we wanted but there was a lid on the rim for a while, really on both ends. So I'm just really proud of the way that our girls were able to stick with it, really get down on the defensive end. To hold Martinez like we did was a huge key for us.”

Defense was the story in the first half, with Iona ultimately coming away with a 25-24 lead at the break. Monmouth used an early 8-0 run to take a 15-6 lead. Kurt scored seven points in the spurt, including a putback to cap the run. After the teams exchanged three-pointers to give MU an 18-9 lead, Iona went on a 14-1 run to retake a 23-19 advantage. Martinez was responsible for seven points in the run, while Cassidee Ranger scored five. Jasmine McCall (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan [Seton Hall]) snapped the run with a three-pointer and Walker made two free throws to put Monmouth back on top, 24-23. A Lizarazu driving lay-up gave Iona a 25-24 lead at the half.

The two teams both shot under 26 percent in the half, with Iona taking a 25.8 percent (8-31) to 23.5 percent (8-35) edge from the floor. Both teams made four three-pointers, while Iona went 5-for-5 from the line to Monmouth's 4-for-6. Kurt led Monmouth with seven points, while Horvatinovic added six points. Martinez led Iona with seven points, while Robinson added six points. Adams chipped in with five points and eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

Iona went on a 9-0 run early in the second half to take a 34-26 lead. The lead remained eight points, 42-34, before Monmouth went on an 11-0 run to retake a 47-42 lead. Horvatinovic made consecutive buckets to spark the run that was capped by Sarah Olson's (Freehold, N.J./Howell [NJIT]) straightaway three trailing the play behind a Sophie Beaudry (Chambly, Quebec/College Dawson) screen at the 10:52 mark.

The Hawks maintained a lead of between one and five points until Robinson buried a three with 15.1 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 58-58 and send it to overtime.

Monmouth did not trail in the first overtime, taking a lead on Mitchell's third three of the game before extending to a four-point lead on a Horvatinovic three. But Walker made 1-of-2 free throws with 13.2 seconds left and Adams went the other way for a lay-up with seven seconds left to tie the game at 67-67, sending the game to a second overtime.

Off the second overtime tip, Bethune was sprung for a lay-up, before Robinson countered with two free throws. Horvatinovic knocked down a 17-foot jumper to give MU a two-point lead, before finding Mitchell for a lay-up with 1:24 remaining. Kurt made 1-of-2 free throws with exactly a minute remaining to give Monmouth a five-point lead, before Lizarazu knocked down a three and Robinson converted in the paint to tie the game at 74-74.

Walker was fouled on a drive to the basket with 1.5 seconds left and made 1-of-2 free throws to put Monmouth on top, 75-74. Lizarazu's heave from beyond half court would not fall as time expired and MU pulled out the 75-74 victory.

For the game, the Hawks outshot Iona, 30.5 percent (25-82) to 28.7 percent (25-87) from the floor and 33.3 percent (10-30) to 26.5 percent (9-34) from long range. Iona took a 93.8 percent (15-16) to 60.0 percent (15-25) advantage from the free-throw line. Iona outrebounded Monmouth, 72-52, and took a 29-16 edge in the paint. The Hawks' bench outscored the Gaels', 29-7.  

“In the second half, I thought we loosened up a little bit. Chris hits some really big threes. Jenny hit some really key shots for us. I could say something about everybody on our team, because they all did a phenomenal job. It was a great team win for our program.”   

The Hawks return to non-conference action Wednesday morning, when they travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, to take on Xavier. Tipoff from the Cintas Center is slated for 11:30 a.m.