2022-23 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Thirty-Three Preview
                                                                                       
No. 7 Monmouth Hawks (17-15) vs. No. 1 Towson Tigers (21-10)
Sunday, March 12, 2023 - 2:00 p.m. 
SECU Arena - Towson, MD

Watch
CBS Sports Network
John Fanta (Play-by-Play)
Monika Moore (Color)

Opening Tip
• Fresh off a pair of wins over the second and third seeds, the Hawks are back on the court to face top seeded Towson in the CAA Championship.
• The Hawks, who were picked to finish tied for 10th in the preseason poll, earned the seventh seed in their first year in the league.
• This will be just the second meeting all-time between the Hawks and Tigers. Towson won the first meeting in early January by a 63-57 game.
• Monmouth will be making its first appearance in a conference championship game since the 2011-12 squad played in the NEC Championship game. The Hawks will making their fourth appearance in a conference championship since 2000.
• With the win on Saturday over Northeastern, the Hawks improved to 17-15 on the year. Monmouth is guaranteed of its first .500 or better record in a season since the 2012-13 squad went 15-15.
• Guard Bri Tinsley scored the 1,000th point of her career Saturday. She has 380 of those points at Monmouth.
• After leading the CAA in blocks this year, junior center Belle Kranbuhl was named to the CAA All-Defensive squad.
• MU recorded the 600th win in program history on March 10 against Drexel. The Hawks are in their 40th season of basketball.
• It is the first time since 2011 that the seventh seed has advanced to the CAA Championship game.
• Monmouth improved to 8-1 on the year when the Hawks score at least 70 points in a game.
• The winner of today's game receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 

MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
The Hawks have found plenty of success in their first appearance in the CAA Tournament. Monmouth has won its first three tournament games and is outscoring opponents by a +11.3 margin in that stretch. The Hawks are killing the boards in the first three games with a +11.0 rebounding margin. Three Hawks are averaging 10 or more points per game and that group is led by Bri Tinsley who is tossing in 14 points per game. Belle Kranbuhl is averaging a team-best 7.7 rebounds per game. 

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY
The Hawks are making their first appearance in a conference championship game since the 2011-12 squad reached the NEC Tournament Championship. The Hawks fell to Sacred Heart that year. Monmouth will be looking for its first conference championship since the 1986-87 season.

CLEANING THE GLASS
Monmouth won the rebounding battle, 40-34 against Northeastern. Eight Hawks who appeared in that game pulled down at least one rebound. Belle Kranbuhl pulled down a team-high eight rebounds while Ariana Vanderhoop and Lovin Marsicano each had seven boards. 

It was the 23rd time this season the Hawks have won the rebounding battle. Monmouth is now 15-8 on the year when it wins the rebounding battle against its opponent. It was also the 10th time that the Hawks pulled down at least 40 rebounds in a game on Saturday night. The Hawks are 7-3 on the year when they record 40 or more rebounds in a single-game. Monmouth comes into the championship tied for second in the CAA with a +3.8 rebounding margin.

GOING DEEP
Monmouth knocked down 10 three-pointers in the win over Northeastern. Kaci Donovan led the way with four triples in the game while Lovin Marsicano and Bri Tinsley each had two triples against the Huskies. Monmouth has hit at least eight three-pointers in six of its last seven games and 18 times this season. The Hawks have connected on a season-high 11 three-pointers in a game, five times this year (Navy, BYU, N.C. A&T, Hofstra, Stony Brook). Monmouth enters the championship leading the CAA while averaging 7.7 three-pointers per game.

RECORD IMPROVEMENT
After winning 14 games under head coach Ginny Boggess' first season, the Hawks have bettered that mark in year two as they picked up their 17th win of the season on Saturday. The 17 wins are the most by a Hawks squad since the 2011-12 team won 19 games. It also guarantees the Hawks of having at least a .500 season for the first time since the 2012-13 team went 15-15. 

WE'VE GOT DOUBLE VISION
Four Hawks scored in double figures in the win over Northeastern. The Hawks improved to 3-1 on the year when four players reach double figures in the same game. Bri Tinsley had 14 points in the contest. It was her third straight game in double figures and team leading 18th time this season. Lovin Marsicano chipped in 13 points in the game. She reached the double digit mark for the fifth time in seventh games and sixth time this season. Kaci Donovan finished with 14 points and reached double figures for the 13th time this season. Belle Kranbuhl had a season-high 12 points and reached double figures for the fifth time this season. 

600 AND COUNTING
Friday's win over Drexel was the Hawks' 16th win of the season and 600th in program history. The Hawks have played 1,197 games in their 40 seasons entering Sunday's game. 

BRI FOR THREE
Bri Tinsley knocked down a pair of three-pointers on Saturday. That gave her a team-leading 69 triples on the season. Tinsley needs just one more three-pointer to become the seventh player in program history to make 70 or more three-pointers in a year and the first since Sierra Green in 2019-20. 

MISS ASSIST
The Hawks dished out 13 assists on 26 made baskets in the win over Northeastern. Bri Tinsley led the Hawks with five assists while three other Hawks had two each. The Hawks have had at least one player with four assists in 25 of 32 games this season.

The Hawks come into Sunday's action averaging 13.34 assists per game. Monmouth has handed out 15 or more assists in 13 games this season. The Hawks had a season-high 22 assists against Navy and handed out 21 assists versus Hofstra. Monmouth dished out it's 400th assist of the season on Thursday night. It is the first time since the 2016-17 season that the Hawks have had 400 or more assists in a season. Tinsley leads the Hawks on the season as she is averaging 3.7 assists per game, that ranks sixth in the league. Tinsley has five or more assists in ten games this year. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
No. 1 Towson is 21-10 on the year following a 76-59 win over William & Mary in the CAA Semifinals. Kylie Kornegay-Lucas led the Tigers with 21 points and 15 rebounds in that contest. Kornegay-Lucas leads Towson on the season as she is averaging 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Quinzia Fulmore is adding 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. 

UP NEXT
The winner of today's game receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, whose field will be announced tonight.