Box Score WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Jenny Horvatinovic (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion Area) and Sara English (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West [UMass]) led the Monmouth University women's basketball team with 11 points apiece as the Hawks defeated hOURglass Rival Saint Peter's, 64-56, Sunday afternoon at the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Hawks shot 51.8 percent (29-56) from the floor, their second-highest field-goal percentage of the season. With the win, the Hawks improve to 10-15 (6-10 MAAC), while the Peacocks fall to 3-22 (3-13 MAAC).

Horvatinovic did her damage on 5-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-2 from long range. She also added four rebounds. English, who didn't enter the game until nearly seven minutes into the second half, shot 5-of-6 from the floor, including a connection on her only three-point attempt. Jasmine Walker (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick) added nine points and five rebounds, while Christina Mitchell (Baltimore, Md./MATHS) also had nine points to go along with two blocks. Helena Kurt (Spanga, Sweden/Igelstavikens Gymnasium) dished out a game-high seven assists.

Alyssa Velles scored a game-high 15 points for Saint Peter's, while Talah Hughes added 13 points and six rebounds. Antonia Smith also added 11 points. Sajanna Bethea had six points, six rebounds and four steals, but accounted for seven of Saint Peter's 15 turnovers.

Monmouth never trailed in the game. The Hawks scored nine of the first 11 points on field goals by four different players to establish an early lead, but Saint Peter's quickly tied the game at 14-14 and 16-16. Horvatinovic then heated up with six points in a 9-0 run as the Hawks retook 25-16 lead. Saint Peter's cut the deficit to five, 31-26, at the half.

Horvatinovic and Mitchell scored six points apiece for the Hawks, while Walker and Sarah Olson (Freehold, N.J./Howell [NJIT]) had five points apiece. Sophie Beaudry (Chambly, Quebec/College Dawson) led the Hawks with five rebounds and two blocks in the first half. Kurt dished out three first-half assists. Antonia Smith led Saint Peter's with nine points in the initial stanza. Whitfield added six points.

The Monmouth lead fluctuated between five and nine points in the early going of the second half. English checked in at the 13:03 mark and immediately connected on a runner while being fouled and hit a right wing three-pointer on the Hawks' next possession to give Monmouth a 45-33 lead. Horvatinovic hit a triple at the 10:07 mark to push the lead to 13 and English followed with a fast-break lay-up off an Olson feed to give Monmouth a 52-37 advantage.

Mitchell's lay-up off an inbounds feed from Kurt at the 4:55 mark pushed the lead to its largest point, 60-44. Saint Peter's scored 12 of the final 16 points of the game to cut the Hawks' lead to the final eight-point margin.

For the game, the Hawks outshot the Peacocks, 51.8 percent (29-56) to 32.3 percent (20-62) from the floor and 38.5 percent (5-13) to 36.4 percent (4-11) from long range. Saint Peter's took an 80.0 percent (12-15) to 20.0 percent (1-5) edge from the free-throw line. Rebounds were an even 35-35. Monmouth's bench outscored that of Saint Peter's, 33-18.

The Hawks return to action Friday, when they begin the MAAC Western New York road trip at Niagara. Opening tip from the Gallagher Center is scheduled for 6 p.m.