2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Thirteen Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (7-5, 0-1 CAA) vs. Campbell (7-5, 0-1 CAA)
Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024 - 2:00 p.m.  
OceanFirst Bank Center - West Long Branch, N.J.

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FloSports
Maria Marino (Play-by-Play)
Dei Lynam (Color)

OPENING TIP
• A four-game homestand wraps up as the Hawks welcome Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) newcomer, Campbell to the OceanFirst Bank Center.
• Monmouth will be looking to bounce back from a tough four-point loss to William & Mary on Friday night.
• Monmouth is facing its third brand new opponent this season. The Hawks are 2-0 against new opponents this season (UMass, Georgian Court).
• Kaci Donovan matched her season-high with 23 points against Tribe. It was Donovan's second straight game and third this season with 20+ points..
• Belle Kranbuhl had seven rebounds on Friday night, giving her 86 for the season and 599 for her career. She needs one more rebound to become the 13th player in program history with 600+ career rebounds.  
• Monmouth had four blocks against William and Mary and has blocked at least three shots in 11 of 12 games.
• Kaci Donovan enters play on Sunday, ranked seventh in the CAA while averaging 15.1 points per game.
• Sandrine Clesca had a career-high seven assists against William & Mary. It was the most assists in a game by a Hawk since Bri Tinsley had eight against Hofstra last year in February.
• The Hawks have spread the ball around this season. Six Hawks have recorded 10 or more assists through the first 12 games. That group is led by Sandrine Clesca, who has 31 helpers.  
• Belle Kranbuhl has 27 blocks this season and 187 for her career. She ranks 15th among active Division I women's players for career blocks.
• The Hawks have hit at least eight three-pointers in back-to-back games.
 

TWENTY-TWENTY VISION
Kaci Donovan continued her stellar offensive performance on Friday night against William & Mary. The senior guard shot 9-for-13 from the field, including a solid 4-for-5 from behind the arc and finished with 23-points against the Tribe. That matched her season-high for points, originally set against Rider. Donovan has scored 20+ points in back-to-back games and three times this season.

SET FOR A DEFENSIVE BATTLE 
Fans should be prepared for a defensive battle as the Hawks and Camels meet on the hardwood. The game features two of the top five teams in the CAA for scoring defense. The Hawks are fifth in the CAA while allowing just 56.8 points per game while Campbell gives up a league-best 52.6 points per game. The two sides are also the top two teams in the CAA for three-point field goal percentage defense. 

LENDING A HELPING HAND
Sandrine Clesca had a big day handling the basketball against William & Mary. The senior guard dished out a career-high seven assists against the Tribe. It was the most assists in a game by a Hawk since Bri Tinsley had eight against Hofstra last February. 

The Hawks have done a good job of sharing the basketball this season. Six Hawks have recorded 10 or more assists through the first 12 games of the season. Clesca leads Monmouth with 31 helpers on the season while Belle Kranbuhl (25) and Jania Hall (24) have each recorded 20 or more assists.  

BE BIG IN THE LANE
Jaye Haynes, Belle Kranbuhl, Taisha Exanor and Sandrine Clesca each recorded a block against William & Mary as the Hawks finished with four rejections. 

It was the 11th time in 12 games that the Hawks have recorded at least three blocks in a game. The Hawks currently rank 15th nationally in blocks per game (5.6). Monmouth has posted at least eight blocks in a game four times this season. Kranbuhl leads the Hawks with 27 blocks and ranks 19th nationally in blocks per game (2.3). Ten different Hawks have recorded at least one block this season.

700 AND COUNTING
Kaci Donovan's 23 points on Friday night gave her 181 points for the season and 715 for her career. She needs 57 more points to climb into the top 30 for career scoring at Monmouth. She is the first Hawk to score at least 700 points in a career since former teammate Lucy Thomas, who finished with 1,098 points. 

Teammate Ariana Vanderhoop has a chance to be the next Hawk to score 700 career points. She currently has 679 points during her Monmouth career.

THE CLIMB TO 200
Monmouth's Belle Kranbuhl has been a force in the lane since her arrival on campus. She has 27 blocks this season and 187 for her career. Kranbuhl currently ranks 15th among active Division I players for career blocks. If she can record 13 more blocks this season, Kranbuhl would become the four player in program history to reach the mark and the first since Suzanne Johnson (1988-91).

GOING DEEP
After starting slow from behind the arc, the Hawks have heated up from three-point range. Since the start of December, Monmout has knocked down 49 three-pointers in the last six games. Monmouth is shooting 36% from three-point range in that stretch. Kaci Donovan leads the way as she is shooting 20-for-42 in that stretch while Jaye Haynes and Rosalie Mercille have each connected on seven triples. 

Donovan enters play on Sunday ranked first in the CAA while shooting 43.1% (31-for-72) from behind the arc this season. 

SCOUTING THE CAMELS
Campbell is 7-5 overall and 0-1 in the CAA after falling at Stony Brook on Friday night. Christabel Ezumah is averaging a team-best 11.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Shy Tuelle is adding 9.2 points per game. 

UP NEXT
Monmouth is back in action on Sunday, Jan. 14 when it travels to College of Charleston.