Monmouth Hawks (2-3, 0-0 MAAC) - 73
Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-3, 0-0 Patriot) - 62
BETHLEHEM, PA – With 45 bench points to Lehigh's 18, the Monmouth University women's basketball team earned its second win of the season, running to a 73-62 win over Lehigh in the Christmas City Classic consolation game on Sunday. Freshman Kayla Shaw hit five three-pointers en route to 17 points, while junior transfer Kayla Quintana contributed 16 points, four steals, three rebounds, two blocks and two assists in the win. The Hawks snap a three game losing skid and improve to 2-3 on the year, while Lehigh drops to 4-3 after losing both Christmas City Classic contests. The Hawks will stay on the road to open up play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, as they face Niagara on December 2 before taking on Canisius on December 4.
NOTES AND QUOTES
“I was really happy we were able to pull that one out. Our girls worked really hard for that one, and it wasn't easy. Lehigh kept it tight for a while and we both made runs throughout the game, but I was really proud of the way we won the one-on-one battles down the stretch on the defensive end, and I think that was the difference. Our bench outscored Lehigh's bench 45-13, and that's been something we've come to rely on. It makes us who we are, and I'm really proud of the way everyone played.” – Monmouth head coach Jenny Palmateer
-Monmouth led for 31:44 of the game, while Lehigh led for just over six minutes. The Hawks built their largest lead of 15 after freshman Rosa Graham sunk two free throws with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter. Monmouth trailed 42-41 with 6:56 left in the third quarter, but kept the lead for the rest of the game after Christina Mitchell grabbed an offensive rebound and scored.
-Through five games, Monmouth is on pace to make 307 three-point field goals, which would be the most in program history. The previous mark was set last year, when the 2015-16 squad made 238.
-Nine different Hawks scored in the contest, contributing to lopsided bench totals.
-Monmouth held Lehigh to just five points in the fourth quarter while pouring in 12.
-Monmouth earned the 11-point win despite only making three free throws. By comparison, Lehigh hit 16 out of 21 from the stripe.
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Freshman Kayla Shaw scored 17 points in just 21 minutes of action, nailing five three-pointers off the bench.
-Kayla Quintana scored a season-high 16 points (6-7 FG) off the bench while adding four steals, three rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
-Tyese Purvis added 11 points on three triples in 37 minutes. The senior has scored in double-digits in four out of five games this season.
-Christina Mitchell registered 22 rebounds in the two days of the Christmas City Classic, grabbing 12 against Hartford on Saturday and another 10 at Lehigh on Sunday.
-Freshman Rosa Graham contributed eight points in 19 minutes and a team-high five assists on the afternoon.
-Helena Kurt added four points, four rebounds, and four assists in the 73-62 win. Erica Balman secured five rebounds in just 10 minutes, including two on the offensive glass.
UP NEXT
The Hawks will make the trek to Buffalo for matchups with Niagara and Canisius. Monmouth will play the Purple Eagles on December 2 at 7 PM, and will face the Golden Griffins on December 4 at 2 PM. After those two games, the team will continue non-conference play as they travel to Sacred Heart (December 8) and host Farleigh Dickinson (December 10).
