Monmouth Hawks (1-5, 0-0 MAAC) – 34
#20 Arizona Wildcats (8-0, 0-0 Pac-12) – 86
 
TUCSON, AZ – Led by five scorers in double figures, #20 Arizona defeated the Monmouth University women's basketball team on Monday night, 86-34.
 
The Wildcats closed the second quarter with a 19-0 run, and outscored the Hawks 45-21 in the second half for the win.
 
Senior Akilah Jennings (San Jose, CA/Presentation/UC Santa Barbara) went into double figures for the third time this season and led the team with 10 points (3-5 FG).  
 
Senior Sierra Green (Queens, NY/Francis Lewis/Monroe CC) added eight points on two triples, while senior Alexa Middleton (Philadelphia, PA/Abington Friends) registered five points and seven rebounds.  
 
Monmouth drops to 1-5 on the season, and will return home to face Lafayette on Saturday.    
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"There is a reason why Arizona is in the top-20. Our mistakes are magnified against a team at this level, and we now have an opportunity to grow from this. It was a tremendous experience playing in that atmosphere." - Monmouth head coach Jody Craig
 
-The Wildcats took an early 4-0 lead, but Monmouth answered with layups from Jennings and Middleton to tie it.
-Both defenses stepped up in the middle of the opening frame, and Arizona ended with a 14-10 advantage after one. Green hit a late three and the defense held the Wildcats to just 6-19 (32%).
-Middleton converted a three-point play after getting fouled midway through the second. That cut the deficit to 22-13.
-Arizona registered an 8-0 run after that to take a 30-13 lead, forcing the Hawks to call a timeout.
-The run would eventually get up to 19-0, and the Wildcats took a 41-13 lead into halftime.
-Sophomore Lucy Thomas ended a 9-0 Arizona run in the third quarter with a jumper from outside the free throw line.
-Late in the third, senior Taylor Nason made a layup on the offensive end before getting a steal on the defensive end.
-Arizona scored the last five points of the third, and led 58-24 heading into the final frame.
-Monmouth got triples from both Green and Jennings early in the fourth, making it 66-30.
-An Adriana Zelaya jumper from the stripe ended a 13-0 Arizona run. The Wildcats ran down the clock for the eventual 86-34 win.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Jennings played a team-high 27 minutes.
-Green now has 113 three-pointers in 37 career games at Monmouth.
-Playing in her home state, Zelaya ended with four points and three rebounds.
-Nason was all over the floor with two points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
-Arizona went 32-61 (52%) from the floor, and held Monmouth to 12-52 (23%).
-The Hawks had 24 turnovers, compared to Arizona's 10. The Wildcats scored 33 points off turnovers.
-Arizona held a 42-12 advantage for points in the paint.
-Senior Rosa Graham and sophomore Alexa Wallace each dished three assists.
-The Blue and White went 5-7 from the free throw line, as Green and Jennings each were 2-2.
-Monmouth is 0-7 all-time against ranked opponents.
-The attendance was 3,525.
 
UP NEXT
After completing their four-game road streak tonight, Monmouth will host Lafayette on Saturday. The teams are locked at 3-3 in the all-time series after a Leopards win last season. Tip from the OceanFirst Bank Center is set for 2:00 PM.