Box Score HAMDEN, CT –
Sarah Olson (Freehold, NJ/Howell [NJIT]) scored a game-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 3-for-3 from long range, but the Monmouth University women's basketball team fell at Quinnipiac, 85-58, Thursday evening at the TD Bank Sports Center. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 6-13 (4-6 MAAC), while Bobcats improve to 12-7 (7-3 MAAC) with their seventh-straight win.
Tyese Purvis (Queens, NY/Francis Lewis [Monroe C.C.]) and
Erica Balman (Marcellus, NY/Marcellus) added eight points apiece for the Hawks, with Balman also grabbing a season-high 10 rebounds.
Jasmine Walker (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) also scored seven points, while
Christina Mitchell (Baltimore, MD/MATHS) grabbed six boards.
Paula Strautmane and Sarah Shewan led Quinnipiac with 14 points apiece. Strautmane completed a double-double with 10 rebounds. Adily Martucci also added 12 points, while Maria Napolitano also reached double figures with 10 points.
After the lead exchanged three times in the early going, Quinnipiac went on a 12-2 run and outscored Monmouth, 28-7 over the final eight-plus minutes of the first quarter and never trailed again. The Bobcats opened up a 31-11 lead after one period. Strautmane led the Bobcats with 10 points and conversions on a pair of three-point attempts in the first quarter, while Shewan made all four of her field-goal attempts for nine first-period points. As a team, Quinnipiac shot 65.0 percent (13-20) from the floor and 71.4 percent (5-7) from long range in the first.
Quinnipiac stayed hot early in the second quarter, extending to a 39-14 lead on a Martucci three at the 6:55 mark and the lead remained 25, 52-27, at the half. Olson was 5-of-5 from the floor and 2-for-2 from long range for 12 points in the first half to lead MU. Mitchell added five rebounds in the half. Quinnipiac shot 57.1 percent (20-35) from the floor in the half, including 47.1 percent (8-17) from long range. Shewan led QU with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc at the break, while Martucci was also 5-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-3 from long range for the Bobcats. Strautmane also added 10 points and six rebounds.
The Hawks outscored the Bobcats, 10-3, to begin the third quarter to cut the deficit to 55-37. Purvis had five points in the spurt. The Hawks further cut the deficit to 17 before the Bobcats ended the period on an 11-1 run to take a 67-40 lead after three. Monmouth could draw no closer than to within 27 in the fourth quarter.
For the game, Quinnipiac outshot the Hawks, 47.6 percent (30-63) to 36.2 percent (21-58) from the floor, 42.3 percent (11-26) to 35.0 percent (7-20) from long range and 63.6 percent (14-22) to 45.0 percent (9-20) from the free-throw line. The Bobcats took a 41-38 edge on the boards.
The Hawks return to action Saturday when they play host to Fairfield. Opening tip of the men's and women's basketball doubleheader from the Multipurpose Activity Center is slated for 4 p.m. on ESPN3.
