FINAL SCORE
William & Mary 70 (5-7, 1-0 CAA)
Monmouth 66 (7-5, 0-1 CAA)

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Kaci Donovan matched her season-high with 23 points, but William & Mary staged a fourth quarter comeback for a 70-66 win over the Monmouth University women's basketball team in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) opener for both squads. 
 
The game was a back-and-forth battle that featured 12 lead changes and five ties.
 
The Hawks and Tribe traded points to start the first period before a 6-0 run gave William & Mary a 10-5 advantage with 5:26 showing on the clock. Nylah Young scored four of the six in that stretch. The two teams continued to trade points as a lay-up from Kaci Donovan at 1:24 put Monmouth up 14-13. However, the Tribe got a bucket at 1:06 and took a 15-14 edge after one.
 
A pair of free throws from Bella Nascimento at 6:39 of the second allowed the Tribe to take a 23-17 lead. Monmouth used a 7-0 run, that featured a triple from Rosalie Mercille, to take a 24-23 lead with 5:05 to go. The two teams continued to battle as a Belle Kranbuhl bucket with 26 seconds left sent Monmouth into the half up, 33-31. 
 
Monmouth opened the third quarter on a 10-4 run and took a 43-35 lead with 7:02 remaining in the period. Donovan knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the scoring spurt. William & Mary tied the game at 49-49 with 2:03 to go in the period. Monmouth responded by scoring five of the final seven points and took a 54-51 lead after three. Jania Hall had four points in that stretch. 
 
Monmouth scored three of the first five points in the fourth and led 57-53 with 8:56 to go in the game. The two teams battled back-and-forth over the next several minutes. Donovan hit a three-pointer at 4:24 that made it a 66-62 game. However, that was the last points for the Hawks. William & Mary closed the game on a 8-0 run and earned the 70-66 victory. 

NOTES & QUOTES
"All the credit to William & Mary tonight for executing their game plan so well. We will learn from this and be better because of it. Our eight new players got a good feel for what conference games are going to feel like every single night."
    - Head coach Ginny Boggess

- William & Mary won its third straight game over the Hawks and now leads the all-time series, 3-2. 
- The Hawks are now 1-1 all-time in CAA openers. 
- Monmouth had its five-game win streak snapped with the loss.
- Kaci Donovan had a game-high 23 points in the contest. It was her second straight game to reach the 20-point plateau and third of the season. 
- Ariana Vanderhoop returned to the line-up and finished with five points and a steal in seven plus minutes of action. 

NUMBERS CRUNCH
- Monmouth shot 39.7% from the field while William & Mary shot 38.4%.
- The Hawks hit eight three-pointers to the Tribe's four. 
- William & Mary held a 43-38 edge in the rebounding battle.
- The Tribe held a 38-24 advantage in points in the paint.
- Anahi-Lee Cauley led William & Mary with 22 points and five rebounds. 
  
NEXT UP
Monmouth is back in action on Sunday, Jan. 7 when it hosts CAA newcomer, Campbell at 2 p.m.