2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Four Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (1-2) vs. UMass (1-3)
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 - 2:00 p.m.  
OceanFirst Bank Arena - West Long Branch, NJ

Watch
NBC Sports Philadelphia/FloSports
Joe Vasile (Play-by-Play)
Maria Marino (Color)

OPENING TIP
• Monmouth wraps up its three-game homestand when it welcomes UMass to the OceanFirst Bank Center.
• This will be the first ever meeting between the Hawks and Minutewomen. It is the first of three new opponents for the Hawks this season (UMass, Georgian Court and Campbell).
• MU has been a force under the basket this season as the Hawks have 25 blocks through the first three games of the year.
• Monmouth pulled down a season-high 49 rebounds in Wednesday's game against Sacred Heart. Eleven of the 12 Hawks that appeared in the game recorded at least one rebound in that contest.
• Kaci Donovan led the Hawks with 12 points against Sacred Heart. She's reached double figures in back-to-back games.
• Head coach Ginny Boggess had her high school jersey retired in Hamlin, West Virginia on Thursday evening.
• Monmouth Amiya Carroll and UMass' Dallas Pierce both played at the Sanford School in Delaware.
• MU's Taisha Exanor and Belle Kranbuhl entered the weekend tied for 10th nationally while averaging three blocks per game.\
• The Hawks are returning three starters and seven players total that secured valuable experience last year.
• Coach Boggess and the Hawks welcome in eight newcomers, including three transfers for this year.
• Five Hawks played in Canada before joining the Monmouth family - Ella Farrelly, Taisha Exanor, Sandrine Clesca, Rosalie Mercille and Divine Dibula.
• Monmouth visits Providence on Nov. 22 before returning home to host Brown on Nov. 26. 
 

IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU
Monmouth faces UMass for the first time in program history with this meeting. It is the first of three games for the Hawks this season against opponents they have never faced before (UMass, Georgian Court and Campbell). Last year the Hawks went 4-4 when facing an opponent for the first time. 

NOT IN MY HOUSE
The Hawks have made their presence felt around the basket through the first three games of the season. Monmouth enters play this weekend ranked third nationally in blocks per game (8.3).

Leading that charge has been Belle Kranbuhl and Taisha Exanor, who each have nine blocks through the first three games of the year. The pair are currently tied for 10th in the nation while averaging 3.0 blocks per game. The pair each had two blocks against Sacred Heart on Wednesday. Kranbuhl had four and three blocks respectively in the first two games. Exanor had two blocks in the opener and added five blocks, including four in the decisive fourth quarter against St. John's.

CLEANING THE GLASS
Monmouth turned in its best rebounding performance of the season against Sacred Heart. The Hawks pulled down 49 rebounds in the contest, including 38 on the defensive end. Eleven of the 12 Hawks that appeared against the Pioneers. Taisha Exanor led the Hawks with a season-high 10 rebounds, one off her career-high. Belle Kranbuhl, Sandrine Clesca and Ariana Vanderhoop all added six rebounds. 

The Hawks are fourth in the CAA for rebounding through three games while averagin 42.3 boards per game. Exanor, Kranbuhl and Vanderhoop are all averaging better than five rebounds per game for the Hawks.  

SEEING DOUBLE
Kaci Donovan led the Hawks with 12 points against Sacred Heart. It marked the second straight game that Donovan has reached double figures and the 26th time in her Monmouth career. 

GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN
The match-up against UMass reunites a pair of former high school teammates. Amiya Caroll is in her second season with the Hawks after playing her high school basketball at the Sanford School in Delaware. Dallas Pierce is in her freshman season for UMass after playing at Sanford. 

CONGRATS COACH
It's been a busy couple of days for Monmouth head coach Ginny Boggess. Following the Hawks game against Sacred Heart on Wednesday, Boggess made the 500+ mile trip to the town of Hamlin, West Virginia where she grew up. Boggess, who starred for the Hamlin Bobcats between 1995-99 had her jersey retired on Thursday night. 

SCOUTING THE MINUTEWOMEN
UMass sits at 1-3 on the year after falling to Harvard on Thursday night. Kristin Williams is averaging a team-best 13.3 points per game while Stefanie Kulesza is adding 12.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

UP NEXT
Monmouth visits Providence on Wednesday, Nov. 22 before returning to the OceanFirst Bank Center on Sunday, Nov. 26 to host Brown.