Siena Saints (2-3, 2-3 MAAC) – 60
Monmouth Hawks (1-8, 1-4 MAAC) - 61
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Redshirt junior Jen Louro (Wall, NJ/St. Rose/UMass Lowell) made the game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left, as the Monmouth University women's basketball team defeated Siena on Wednesday, 61-60.
 
The fourth quarter alone saw 13 lead changes, as the Hawks got big shots from freshmen Belle Kranbuhl (Boonville, NY/Adirondack Central) and Jania Hall (Gaithersburg, MD/St. Vincent Pallotti).
 
Kranbuhl registered her first career double-double, compiling a career-high 16 points and 12 rebounds to go along with four blocks.
 
Hall went into double-figures for the fourth time this season, ending with 13 points.
 
Sophomore Saule Kaupyte (Klaipeda, Lithuania/New York Military Academy) grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in the win. As a team, Monmouth won the overall rebounding battle, 49-30.
 
Monmouth improves to 1-8 (1-4 MAAC) on the season, and will travel to Quinnipiac this weekend.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"I'm really happy for our team to close it out and get the W tonight. We stayed together through the rough times and executed on both ends down the stretch. These are big steps for our young group."– Monmouth head coach Jody Craig
 
-Monmouth used a 17-2 run in the first quarter, including triples from freshman Gabrielle Wener, freshman Ariana Vanderhoop, and Louro, to take a big early lead.
-The Hawks led 21-12 by the end of the opening frame. Siena scored the last five points, including a deep three with 24 seconds left.  
-Monmouth rattled off an 8-0 run late in the second quarter to take a 13-point advantage. The Hawks kept Siena off the board for a span of 5:48.
-By halftime, Monmouth led 35-22. Kranbuhl scored her eighth point of the quarter on a layup with three seconds left.
-Hall scored Monmouth's first four points of the third quarter, including a tough layup with the shot clock running down.
-Siena battled back in the third quarter, using a 10-0 run and holding Monmouth without a point for 5:17 to make it 40-37.
-A three-pointer at the third quarter buzzer from Wener maintained Monmouth's lead. Heading into the fourth, the Hawks led 45-41.
-The Saints took their first lead of the game with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter on a corner three.
-The teams went back and forth in the final quarter, with over a dozen lead changes. Hall gave Monmouth the lead with 3:41 remaining with a three-pointer, and Kranbuhl did the same two times after that with layups.
-After Siena regained the lead with 1:13 left, Louro later took a pass on the wing and drove to the rim for the game-winning layup.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Kranbuhl registered Monmouth's first double-double of the season. She is now averaging 8.0 rebounds per game and has 23 blocks in the last five games.
-Hall leads the team with four games in double figures. She also leads the team with 9.3 points per contest.  
-Monmouth's 61 points and 49 rebounds were both season highs.
-The Hawks shot 25-63 (39.7%) from the floor and held Siena to 19-61 (31.1%).
-Monmouth held a 36-14 advantage in the paint.
-Louro notched nine points and a career-high six assists.
-Vanderhoop scored a career-high nine points in the win.
-Wener ended with six points and three assists. She was a team-high +10 on the night.
 
UP NEXT
Monmouth will be on the road for the first time since December 15 when they travel to Quinnipiac on Saturday and Sunday. The Bobcats hold a 31-17 all-time series lead.