(OT)
Monmouth Hawks (3-5) - 69
Lafayette Leopards (5-4) – 73
EASTON, PA – After nine lead changes and double-digit leads for each team, Lafayette defeated the Monmouth University women's basketball team in overtime Saturday, 73-69. The Hawks led by as many as 13 with 6:13 left after overcoming an 11-point deficit in the second quarter. Junior
Sierra Green scored in double-figures for the seventh consecutive game, notching 23 points on five triples. Junior
Emani Clough added 15 points in the loss, going into double-figures for the fourth time this season. Senior
Erica Balman grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds and blocked a career-high five shots on the day. The Leopards snap Monmouth's three-game winning streak, and the Hawks drop to 3-5 on the season. The Blue & White look to bounce back at home against Princeton on Tuesday.
NOTES AND QUOTES
"Our shot selection today wasn't the best, and it caught up to us. I didn't think we played with intelligence in terms of getting the best possible shots. We had some opportunities to really score and put the game away, but ended up forcing things. Defensively, I was disappointed in how we played during the last quarter and overtime. We made poor decisions, didn't close out on three-point shooters, gave up rebounds, and fouled in bad situations." -
Monmouth head coach Jody Craig
-Monmouth's early full court press prompted three steals, and the Hawks took a 12-4 lead in the first quarter. The Leopards then went on a 9-0 run, taking a 13-12 advantage.
-A deep buzzer-beating triple to end the opening frame gave Lafayette an 18-16 lead.
-A 7-2 Lafayette run to open the second quarter forced Monmouth to call a timeout. The Hawks trailed 25-18 with 6:51 remaining.
-After Lafayette took a 29-18 lead, the Hawks rattled off a 10-0 run in just 2:18 to make it a one-point game.
-Late in the first half, Green drained a triple as junior
Taylor Nason was fouled in the paint. Nason hit a free throw to make it a four-point trip. Despite trailing by 11 with 4:36 left in the second quarter, Monmouth led 32-31 at the half.
-The Leopards came out of the locker room with an 8-2 run to take the lead, but the Hawks answered with a 9-0 run to go ahead 43-39.
-The Hawks eventually closed the third quarter with a 15-6 run, and led 49-45 heading into the fourth.
-Monmouth led 58-48 with 4:58 left in the game, but Lafayette came up with multiple baskets to make it 61-58 with 28 seconds left. Three late free throws would send the game into overtime.
-In the extra frame, Lafayette went ahead 72-67 with 40 seconds left, and two Clough free throws cut the deficit to three.
-The Hawks came up with a huge steal with 14 seconds left down three, but junior
Rosa Graham's layup was blocked. Lafayette hit a free throw to solidify the four-point win.
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth led for 22:06, and Lafayette led for 19:31. The game was tied for 3:08.
-The Hawks held Lafayette's Natalie Kucowski to just five points (1-7 FG). She came into the contest averaging 16.1.
-Lafayette went 20-28 from the free throw line, while the Hawks went 9-16.
-Graham and junior
Alexa Middleton each added seven points in the loss.
-Balman blocked her career-high five shots with 6:17 still left to play in the third quarter.
-Each team turned the ball over 18 times.
-Senior
McKinzee Barker played in her 99
th career game.
UP NEXT
The Hawks will return home for three straight games at the OceanFirst Bank Center. Up first is Princeton on Tuesday night. The Tigers hold a 5-1 all-time series advantage, but the teams have not met since 2015.
