2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Six Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (2-3) vs. Brown (3-3)
Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023 - 2:00 p.m.  
OceanFirst Bank Center - West Long Branch, N.J.

Watch
SNY/FloSports
Maria Marino (Play-by-Play)
Dominique Patrick (Color)

OPENING TIP
• Monmouth returns to the OceanFirst Bank Center to close out the month of November as it hosts Brown.
• This will be the third meeting all-time between the Hawks and Bears. Monmouth will be looking for its first win in the series.
• The Hawks are returning home where they are 2-1 on the year.
• MU notched seven more blocks against Providence and entered play this weekend ranked fifth in the nation for blocks per game (7.6).
• Belle Kranbuhl had a season-high five blocks at Providence. It was the ninth time in her career that she has recorded five or more blocks in a game.
• Ariana Vanderhoop led the Hawks with 10 points at Providence. It was her fourth time in double figures in five games.
• Kayla Richardson scored a bucket in the second half. It was her first basket since Feb. 3, 2022 as she battled back from injuries.
• Monmouth matched its season-high with 74 points in the win over UMass. Dating back to last season, the Hawks are 10-1 when they score 70 or more points in a game.
• MU has 38 blocks in five games this season. Belle Kranbuhl and Taisha Exanor led the way with 16 and 11 blocks respectively.
• Five Hawks played in Canada before joining the Monmouth family - Ella Farrelly, Taisha Exanor, Sandrine Clesca, Rosalie Mercille and Divine Dibula.
 

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME
The Hawks are back in the OceanFirst Bank Center where they have posted a 2-1 mark this season. Monmouth is averaging 66.0 points per game in that stretch and have outscored their opponents by a +2.7 margin. Kaci Donovan (13.0) and Jania Hall (10.7) are leading the scoring efforts at home.  Monmouth is averaging 44.3 rebounds per game while four Hawks are averaging better than five rebounds per game. Belle Kranbuhl (7.0) leads the Monmouth efforts on the class.

NOT IN MY HOUSE
The Hawks have made their presence felt around the basket through five games of the season. Monmouth enters play this weekend ranked fifth nationally in blocks per game (7.6).

Leading that charge has been Belle Kranbuhl and Taisha Exanor, who have 16 and 11 blocks respectively through five games. Both rank among the top 25 in the nation for blocks per game. Kranbuhl is tied for ninth while Exanor is tied for 22nd. Kranbuhl blocked a season-high five shots at Providence while Exanor has at least one block in each game.

SEEING DOUBLE
Ariana Vanderhoop led the Hawks with 10 points in the game at Providence. She has scored in double figures four times this season and 33 times for her career. 

WE BET THAT ONE FELT GOOD
Forward Kayla Richardson grabbed an offense rebound and put the lay-up in at 2:43 of the third quarter. It was Richardson's first bucket since Feb. 3, 2022 as she battled back from injuries. 

NICE TO MEET YOU
Forward Diamond Wiggins made her collegiate debut for the Hawks against Providence. The freshman joins fellow newcomers Rosalie Mercille and Divine Dibula in making her first appearance in a college game this season. She became the sixth Hawk to make their Monmouth debut this season (Jaye Haynes, Sandrine Clesca, Taisha Exanor, Rosalie Mercille and Divine Dibula). 

SCOUTING THE BEARS
Brown is 3-3 on the year and coming off a 56-49 win over Loyola (Chicago) on Wednesday. Kyla Jones is averaging 15.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Grace Arnolie is adding 13.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

UP NEXT
Monmouth hits the road for three straight games - Rider (Dec. 2), American (Dec. 6) and Lafayette (Dec. 11). The Hawks will not return home till Dec. 22 when it hosts Loyola (Md.).