Quinnipiac Bobcats (11-9, 8-3 MAAC) – 52
Monmouth Hawks (5-16, 2-10 MAAC) – 45
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Despite a second half surge, the Monmouth University women's basketball team was defeated by Quinnipiac on Thursday morning, 52-45.
 
After trailing by 14 at halftime, the Hawks outscored the Bobcats 28-21 in the final two quarters.
 
Senior Alexa Middleton (Philadelphia, PA/Abington Friends) led the way with 14 points and seven rebounds, shooting 6-10 from the floor. She now has the second most rebounds in program history with 818.
 
Sophomore Lucy Thomas (Ocean, NJ/St. Rose) added 14 points (5-10 FG) and five rebounds in the loss.
 
Monmouth falls to 5-16 (2-10 MAAC) on the season, and will host Saint Peter's on Saturday.    
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"It was good to see us battle back after a terrible start, turning it over on our first four possessions and going down eight. We ultimately won the game from there, but obviously have a lot to work on. In particular, we got outhustled on the boards and made some crucial mistakes down the stretch in our offensive decisions. It's frustrating to keep losing the same way." - Monmouth Head Coach Jody Craig
 
-Quinnipiac jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, making its first four shots.  
-Closing the first quarter on a 6-0 run and forcing 11 turnovers in the opening frame, the Bobcats led 14-4 heading into the second.
-After a Middleton layup and two Thomas free throws, the Hawks cut the deficit to 10 late in the second half. Quinnipiac scored twice in the last minute, taking a 31-17 lead at halftime.
-Monmouth scored the first five points of the third quarter and eventually outscored the Bobcats 14-10 in the frame, cutting the deficit to 10 heading into the fourth.
-The Hawks trailed by as few as seven in the fourth, and held Quinnipiac without a point for the first 5:00.
-Thomas buried a three-pointer with 3:42 left, cutting the Quinnipiac lead to 43-37.
-A Middleton layup with 37 seconds remaining made it a six-point game once again.
-Senior Sierra Green buried a triple with seven seconds left, but Quinnipiac held on for the win with two free throws.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Middleton moved up to 2^nd all-time with 818 career rebounds, passing Christina Mitchell (2013-17). Only Linda Wilson (1983-87) has more with 1,360. In 12 MAAC games, Middleton is averaging 11.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest.
-Thomas scored in double figures for the sixth time in the last seven games. She is averaging 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in MAAC play.
-After turning the ball over 11 times in the first quarter, the Hawks had just seven the rest of the game. The Bobcats held a 20-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
-Green ended with 10 points on two three-pointers. Her 145 triples over the last two season rank 7^th in program history.
-Senior Akilah Jennings led the team with five assists and three steals.
 
UP NEXT
Monmouth will have a quick turnaround, hosting Saint Peter's on Saturday at 3:00 PM. The Hawks lead the all-time series 26-13, including an 81-67 win earlier this season in Jersey City. Four players (Green, Thomas, Middleton, Jennings) all scored 15+ points.