Monmouth Hawks (8-20, 5-14 MAAC) – 48
Manhattan Jaspers (15-14, 12-8 MAAC) –  54
 
RIVERDALE, NY – Using a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter, Manhattan defeated the Monmouth University women's basketball team on Thursday, 54-48.
 
The Hawks took a four-point advantage with 7:19 left in the final frame, but the Jaspers answered with the run and kept the lead for good.
 
Senior Alexa Middleton (Philadelphia, PA/Abington Friends) led the Blue & White with 13 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor.
 
Senior Akilah Jennings (San Jose, CA/Presentation/UC Santa Barbara) added 10 points in the loss to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
 
Senior Taylor Nason (Lorton, VA/South County) scored eight points in addition to grabbing a season-high 13 rebounds.
 
Monmouth drops to 8-20 (5-14 MAAC) on the season, and will host Rider on Saturday for the regular season finale.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"We were outplayed down the stretch after we led the majority of the game. Missed free throws and a letdown defensively gave them just enough momentum to carry them to the victory." - Monmouth head coach Jody Craig
 
-After senior Sierra Green hit a three to open the scoring, Manhattan answered with a 7-0 run. Back-to-back layups from Nason and senior Rosa Graham tied the game at 7-7 midway through the first.
-A late corner triple from sophomore Alexa Wallace gave Monmouth a 10-8 lead after one quarter.
-The Hawks scored the first four points of the second to go ahead by six, but Manhattan battled back to tie the game at the media timeout (4:57).
-Each team eventually scored 16 points in the second quarter, and Monmouth kept a slight 26-24 lead at the break. The Hawks went 6-6 from the free throw line in the quarter.
-Monmouth scored five straight points after the Jaspers tied the game in the third quarter. Manhattan made two late free throws, but the Hawks maintained a 37-36 lead heading into the final frame.
-Green connected on her second triple of the game and Jennings made a layup, putting Monmouth up 42-38. The Jaspers answered with a three-pointer and a layup of their own, going ahead by one with 4:42 left.
-The Manhattan run eventually got up to 9-0, as the Jaspers led 47-42 lead with 2:44 remaining.
-Monmouth cut the deficit to three on two separate occasions, but the Jaspers sealed the win with three late free throws.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Middleton scored in double-figures for the 15^th time this season. She increased her field goal percentage to 47.1 in 2019-20.
-Jennings scored in double-figures for the 11^th time this season.
-With two more tonight, Green ranks fourth in program history with 161 made triples.
-Graham dished four assists, and moved up to 12^th all-time with 266 in her career.
-The game was tied six times and there were five lead changes.
 
UP NEXT
Monmouth hosts Rider on Saturday for the regular season finale.  The Hawks hold a 29-19 all-time series lead, but the Broncs earned a 48-25 win in Lawrenceville earlier this season.