2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Sixteen Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (9-6, 2-2 CAA) at Drexel (9-7, 4-1 CAA)
Sunday, Jan. 20, 2024 - 1:00 p.m.  
Daskalakis Center - Philadelphia, Pa.

Watch
NBC Sports Philadelphia/FloSports

OPENING TIP
• The weekend wraps up with a day trip to Philadelphia for the Hawks to take on the Drexel Dragons.
• Drexel leads the all-time series between the two schools, 5-2. However, the Hawks won both meetings last year (regular season and CAA Tournament).
• Monmouth has won four straight road games entering Sunday's action. A win on Sunday would allow the Hawks to match the 2021-22 team for the longest road win streak under head coach Ginny Boggess.
• Kaci Donovan led the Hawks with 16 points on Friday afternoon. It was the 11th time in 15 games she has scored in double figures.
• Monmouth won the rebounding battle against Elon. It ws the 12th time this season the Hawks have won the rebounding battle.  
• Monmouth would record its 10th win of the season with its next victory. If the Hawks could reach the mark on Sunday, it would match the 2021-22 team for the quickest to 10 under head coach Ginny Boggess.
• Belle Kranbuhl enters play Sunday needing just four more blocks to become the fourth player in program history to reach 200 career blocks.
• Monmouth handed out double digit assists for the ninth time this season as the Hawks finished with 16 helpers against Elon. Belle Kranbuhl and Sandrine Clesca each had three assists against the Phoenix.
• Belle Kranbuhl needs to score nine more points to reach 600 for her career. She would become the 11th player in program history with 600 career points and 600 career rebounds.
• Points will be a premium when two of the top four teams in the CAA for scoring defense meet in this game.

TIME TO BE ROAD WARRIORS
The Hawks have played extremely well on the road as of late. With the 75-62 win over College of Charleston on Jan. 14, Monmouth extended its current road win streak to four straight contests. During the current road streak, the Hawks are outscoring opponents by a +16.5 margin and outrebounding opponents by a +12.8 margin. Kaci Donovan is averaging 13.5 points per game while Belle Kranbuhl leads the Hawks on the boards while averaging 8.5 boards per game. 

If Monmouth could beat Drexel, it would match the 2021-22 team for the longest road win streak under head coach Ginny Boggess.

THE CLIMB TO 200
Monmouth's Belle Kranbuhl has been a force in the lane since her arrival on campus. She has 36 blocks this season and 196 for her career. Kranbuhl currently ranks 15th among active Division I players for career blocks. She needs to record four more blocks this season, Kranbuhl to become the four player in program history to reach the mark and the first since Suzanne Johnson (1988-91).

POINTS AT A PREMIUM
Points will be at a premium in this contest as two of the top four scoring defenses meet. The Hawks currently rank fourth in the CAA while giving up just 57.1 points per game. Drexel ranks second in the CAA while surrendering just 53.4 points per game. Earlier this season, the Hawks defeated Campbell, who leads the league in scoring defense.

DON'T I KNOW YOU
Today's game will see two sets of former high school teammates face off against each other. Monmouth's Jania Hall and Drexel's Jasmine Valentine each attended St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Maryland. Hall has appeared in every game this season for the Hawks and is averaging 8.1 points per game while Valentine has played in 16 games and is averaging 5.5 points per game.

In addition, Monmouth's Rosalie Mercille will get a chance to see a former high school teammate in Drexel's Clara Bergeron. Both attended Cegep Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in Canda. Mercille is coming off her first career start is averaging 5.0 points per game during her rookie campaign while Bergeron has not seen time yet this season. 

TRYING TO GET TO 10
Monmouth's next win will give them 10 on the season. If the Hawks can defeat the Dragons, it would give them 10 wins and match the 2021-22 team for the quickest amount of games to get to the mark under head coach Ginny Boggess (16 games).

CLEANING THE GLASS
Monmouth won the rebounding battle against Elon, 37-36. Kaci Donovan led the Hawks with seven boards in the game while three other Hawks recorded five rebounds apiece in the contest. 

Monmouth has now outrebounded their opponent in 12 games this season. The Hawks enter play this weekend leading the CAA with a +8.5 rebounding margin. 

The Hawks are 6-1 this season when they pull down 40 or more rebounds in a game and 7-0 when they win the rebounding battle by a +10 margin. Last season the Hawks were 8-3 when they pulled down 40 or more rebounds in a game. Belle Kranbuhl is averaging a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game while two other Hawks are averaging better than four rebounds per game.

SEEING DOUBLE
Monmouth had two Hawks score in double figures last time out (Kaci Donovan-16, Ariana Vanderhoop-13). Donovan has reached double figures in 11 games this season. Vanderhoop has scored in double figures in eight of 11 games this season. 

600 SQUARED 
Belle Kranbuhl enters play on Sunday needing just nine points to reach 600 for her career. Earlier this season, Kranbuhl pulled down her 600th career rebound against Campbell. She would become the 11th player in program history to reach 600 career points and 600 career rebounds and the first to reach the mark since former teammate Lucy Thomas.

SCOUTING THE DRAGONS
Drexel is 9-7 overall and 4-1 in the CAA after a 56-38 win over Hofstra on Friday night. The Dragons are led by Brooke Mullins who is averaging 12.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while Amaris Baker is adding 9.3 points per game.

UP NEXT
Monmouth heads south to Virginia for two games next weekend with stops at Hampton (Jan. 26) and William & Mary (Jan. 28).