Iona Gaels (5-8, 4-6 MAAC) – 55
Monmouth Hawks (2-14, 2-10 MAAC) - 48
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – After jumping out to a 16-point advantage in the first quarter, Iona held on to defeat the Monmouth University women's basketball team on Thursday night, 55-48.
 
The Hawks outscored the Gaels 45-36 in the final three quarters, but shot 11-23 (48%) from the free throw line in the loss.
 
Redshirt junior Jen Louro (Wall, NJ/St. Rose/UMass Lowell) scored a team-high 13 points, making 5-of-10 field goal attempts.
 
Returning from injury, junior Alexa Wallace (Wheatley Heights, NY/Half Hollow Hills East) added a career-high nine points on 3-of-5 from the floor.
 
Freshman Belle Kranbuhl (Boonville, NY/Adirondack Central) compiled eight points and seven rebounds in the contest, while classmate Sakeria Haralson (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) registered six points and a season-high eight boards.
 
Monmouth drops to 2-14 (2-10 MAAC) on the season, and will host Iona again tomorrow night.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"Our level of accountability just has to improve. We don't use what we teach on either end and we make it so hard on ourselves. We start out in a big hole by not making free throws and giving up offensive rebounds. We're not winning any games until this changes." - Monmouth head coach Jody Craig
 
-Iona scored the first seven points of the game, but Louro ended the run with a floater in the lane.
-The Gaels followed with a 12-0 run, and led 19-3 by the end of the first quarter.
-Kranbuhl made three straight baskets in the second quarter, bringing the deficit to 24-11.
-Hall buried a jumper at the end of the second quarter to give Monmouth a 15-13 advantage in the frame. At halftime, Iona maintained a 32-18 lead.
-Each team started the third quarter with six points, and the Hawks still trailed by 14 with 5:35 left.
-Monmouth used a 7-0 run to cut the Iona lead to single digits, capped by a Louro triple from the wing.
-Louro hit one of two free throws with 10 seconds remaining in the third. Heading into the fourth, Iona led 42-30.
-The Hawks used a 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to eight. Haralson connected on two layups.
-Monmouth later went on a 5-0 run, all from free throws, to cut the deficit to five with 41.1 seconds left.
-Iona hit two late free throws to seal the win.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Louro scored in double-figures for the second straight game, and now leads the team with 8.9 points per game.
-Wallace notched her career-high in her 68^th contest.
-Monmouth trailed by as many as 18, and cut the deficit to five with 41.1 seconds left in the game.
-Haralson is now averaging 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
-Iona scored 18 points off of 18 Monmouth turnovers.
-Monmouth held a 14-7 advantage in bench points.
-The Hawks shot 1-of-9 from three-point range.
 
UP NEXT
The team will play again at 6:00 PM tomorrow night. Iona now holds a 12-11 lead in the all-time series.