Lafayette Leopards (4-4, 0-0 Patriot) – 44
Monmouth Hawks (2-5, 0-0 MAAC) – 52
 
WEST LONG BRANCH – A 12-0 run to open the fourth quarter propelled the Monmouth University women's basketball team over Lafayette on Saturday, 52-44.
 
The game was locked at 35 at the end of three quarters, and the Monmouth defense held the Leopards without a point over the first 8:56 of the final frame.
 
Senior Akilah Jennings (San Jose, CA/Presentation/UC Santa Barbara) scored 12 points with three rebounds in the win. Senior Sierra Green (Queens, NY/Francis Lewis/Monroe CC) also netted 12 points, including two makes from long range.
 
In her 100^th career game, senior Alexa Middleton (Philadelphia, PA/Abington Friends) registered 10 points and four rebounds.
 
Monmouth improves to 2-5 on the season, and will remain home to face Manhattan on December 17 for the MAAC opener.    
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"We came together and played consistently in that fourth quarter. It was frustrating up until that point because we couldn't get any momentum. We made just enough plays on both ends of the floor to separate ourselves and get the win." - Monmouth head coach Jody Craig
 
-For the first 4:29 of the first, the teams traded baskets and the Leopards led 6-5.
-A big Monmouth run ended in redshirt sophomore Jen Louro hitting a buzzer-beating triple at the end of the first, giving Monmouth a 17-6 lead.
-Lafayette answered early in the second quarter, outscoring the Hawks 10-2.
-Monmouth missed 11 straight shots in the second, allowing Lafayette to get within two. A late layup from Jennings made it 23-19 at the break.
-The Leopards used a 7-2 run to open the third quarter to take its their first lead, 26-25. Shortly after, Green buried a three from the corner and Monmouth went back ahead by two.
-Lafayette eventually outscored Monmouth 16-12 in the third, and the teams were locked at 35 heading into the fourth.
-Monmouth held Lafayette without a point over the first 8:56 of the final frame. In total, the Leopards did not score for 11:08 including the third quarter.
-Despite a late run from Lafayette that included nine points in 41 seconds, Monmouth held on for the eight-point win.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Jennings has scored in double-figures four times this season, and brings her average up to 8.7 PPG.
-Sophomore Lucy Thomas grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. She also had a team-high four assists.
-Louro compiled nine points, going 2-5 from beyond the arc.
-Green now has 115 three-pointers in 38 career games at Monmouth. She has scored in double-figures 27 times in that span.
-The Hawks grabbed a season-high 48 rebounds, including a 22-9 advantage on the offensive glass.
-Monmouth only turned the ball over seven times, and forced 15 turnovers on defense.
-The Hawks led for 28:11.
-Monmouth held a 17-2 advantage in bench points.
 
UP NEXT
Monmouth will open conference play on Tuesday, December 17 when it hosts Manhattan. Tip from the OceanFirst Bank Center is set for 7:00 PM. The Hawks hold a 15-11 all-time series lead, including a 71-63 win last season. Sierra Green dropped a career-high 28 points, the most for any Monmouth player in nearly 10 years.