2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Twenty-Six Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (17-8, 10-4 CAA) vs. College of Charleston (18-6, 10-3 CAA)
Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024 - 2:00 p.m.  
OceanFirst Bank Center - West Long Branch, N.J.

Watch
FloSports
Joe Vasile (Play-by-Play)
Stef Manisero (Color)

OPENING TIP
• The Hawks wrap up their weekend at home with a visit from College of Charleston on Sunday afternoon.
• MU is coming off a 61-55 win over Drexel on Friday night that stretched its current win streak to three straight games. It is the third time this season, the Hawks have had a win streak of at least three games.
• This will be the second meeting of the season and fourth all-time between the Hawks and Cougars. Monmouth earned a 75-62 win over the Cougars earlier this season and has won two straight in the series.
• Monmouth's win over Drexel on Friday night gave the Hawks 10 conference wins. It is the most conference wins by a Monmouth squad since the 2015-16 team won 11 conference games.
• Ariana Vanderhoop led the Hawks with a season-high 21 points on Friday night against Drexel.
• Monmouth shot a season-best 51% from the field in the win over Drexel. The Hawks are 3-0 this season when shooting 50% or better from the field.
• With four games left in the regular season, the Hawks currently sit in fourth place in the CAA standings.
• Monmouth needs one more win to match it's season total from a year ago.
• The Hawks' next win will be the 50th career victory on the bench for head coach Ginny Boggess.
• Monmouth dominated the rebounding battle against Drexel, 41-28. The Hawks improved to 12-2 on the year when they pull down 40 or more rebounds in a game.
• Belle Kranbuhl had three blocks against the Dragons which gave her 64 for the season. That matches her career-high for blocks in a season.
• The Hawks are 6-3 this season when playing on a Sunday.
 

TWENTY-TWENTY VISION
Senior Ariana Vanderhoop delivered in a clutch spot for the Hawks on Friday night. She scored a game-high 21 points, including 14 of those points in the second half to help secure the win. Vanderhoop becomes the fourth different Hawk to score at least 20 points in a game this season. It was Vanderhoop's third 20+ point performance of her career and her 11th game in double figures this season.

RACKING UP THE WINS  
With the victory over Drexel on Friday night, the Hawks secured their 17th win of the season and their 10th in CAA play. Monmouth needs one more win to match its win total from a year ago. It also marks the 14th time in program history that the Hawks have won at least 17 games in a season. The 10 CAA wins are the most conference wins in a season by a Hawks squad since the 2015-16 team won 11 games. It is the 23rd time in program history that a Monomouth team has won at least 10 conference games.

GOING DEEP
Kaci Donovan knocked down three three-pointers for the Hawks against Drexel. It gave her 51 triples for the season. She has made at least 45 triples in two of her three seasons with the Hawks. Donovan now has 136 career made three-pointers at Monmouth. She moved  into the top 10 for career three-pointers made at Monmouth in the game. 

NIFTY FIFTY
The Hawks' next win of the season will give head coach Ginny Boggess her 50th win on the Monmouth bench. Boggess would become the seventh head coach in program history to record at least 50 wins on the Monmouth si

BE BIG IN THE LANE
The Hawks had five blocks in the win over Drexel on Friday night. Belle Kranbuhl had three blocks in that game while Taisha Exanor and Kaci Donovan each added one rejections.

That brings the Monmouth blocks total for the season to 149. It's the most blocks in a single-season since the 1990-91 team (161).

So far this season, the Hawks have recorded at least six blocks in 14 of 25 games. The Hawks are 5th nationally in blocks per game (6.0). Monmouth has posted at least eight blocks in a game eight times this season. Belle Kranbuhl leads the Hawks with 64 blocks and ranks 14th nationally in blocks per game (2.56). Twelve different Hawks have recorded at least one block this season.

FABULOUS AT FORTY 
Monmouth finished the game versus Drexel shooting 51% from the field. It was the 13th time the Hawks have shot 40% or better from the field and Monmouth is 10-3 in those contests. The Hawks posted their best field goal percentage of the season against the Dragons. Monmouth has now shot 50% or better from the field in three games this season and won all three of those contests (Drexel, St. John's and at Drexel).

CLEANING THE GLASS
Monmouth won the rebounding battle against Drexel, 41-28. Taisha Exanor matched her career-high with 11 rebounds in the game while Belle Kranbuhl added nine boards. 

Monmouth has now outrebounded their opponent in 20 games this season. The Hawks entered play Sunday leading the CAA with a +8.3 rebounding margin. 

The Hawks are 12-2 this season when they pull down 40 or more rebounds in a game and 12-0 when they win the rebounding battle by a +10 margin. Belle Kranbuhl is averaging a team-best 7.6 rebounds per game while three other Hawks are averaging better than four rebounds per game.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS
College of Charleston has won four straight and is coming off an 88-59 win over Hofstra on Friday night. The Cougars are paced by Taryn Barbot, who is averaging 16.1 points per game. Jenna Annecchiarico is adding 14.7 points per game with 146 assists. 

UP NEXT
Monmouth travels to Hofstra on Sunday, Mar. 3 for its lone meeting of the season with the Pride.