2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Twenty-Seven Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (18-8, 11-4 CAA) at Hofstra Pride (9-17, 3-12 CAA)
Sunday, Mar. 2, 2024 - 2:00 p.m.  
Mack Convocation Center - Hempstead, N.Y.

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OPENING TIP
• The Hawks begin the final three-game stretch of the regular season as they visit Hofstra on Sunday afternoon.
• MU is coming off a 73-63 win over the College of Charleston last Sunday that stretched its current win streak to four straight games. It's the second time this season the Hawks have had a win streak of at least four contests.
• Monmouth puts its 10-game road win streak to the test when it visits the Pride. The Hawks enter play this weekend tied for the fourth longest road win streak in the country.
• This will be the first game of the season between the Hawks and Pride and the 15th overall. Monmouth leads the all-time series 9-5 and has won six straight, including a 69-67 victory in Hempstead last year.
• Ariana Vanderhoop was named the CAA Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 23.5 points per game in a pair of home wins for the Hawks.
• Monmouth shot 49% from the field in the win over College of Charleston. The Hawks moved to 11-3 on the year when they shoot 40% or better from the field.
• With three games left in the regular season, the Hawks currently sit in third place in the CAA standings.
• The win over College of Charleston allowed the Hawks to match their win total from a year ago (18).
• Monmouth's win over the Cougars was head coach Ginny Boggess' 50th on the Hawks' bench.
• Monmouth entered play this weekend ranked fifth nationally in blocks per game (5.9).
• Belle Kranbuhl had 23 rebounds in the two games combined last weekend. That gives her a career-high 203 rebounds this season and 716 for her career.
• The Hawks is 11-5 this season when playing an afternoon game.

I'M HONORED
After averaging 23.5 points per game in a pair of wins last week, senior guard Ariana Vanderhoop was named the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Week on Monday. She became the first Hawk to be honored as a player of the week since Monmouth joined the CAA. She shot 63% and posted her first two 20+ point performances. Vanderhoop scored a career-high 26 points in the win over College of Charleston.

RACKING UP THE WINS  
With the victory over College of Charleston on Sunday, the Hawks secured their 18th win of the season and their 11th in CAA play. Monmouth matched its win total from a year ago. The Hawks need one more win to post their most wins since the 2011-12 team won 19 games. The 11 CAA wins are the most conference wins in a season by a Hawks squad since the 2015-16 team won 11 games. 

JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN 
Monmouth plays its final two road games of the regular season, beginning with the Hofstra match-up. The Hawks have won 10 straight road games and set the school record for longest  road win streak in the process. Monmouth entered play this weekend tied for the fourth longest road win streak in the country. During the current road win streak, the Hawks have outscored opponents by an average of 11 points per game and is shooting 41.8% from the field. Both Ariana Vanderhoop (10.9) and Jania Hall (10.2) are tossing in better than 10 points per game on the road.

NIFTY FIFTY
The Hawks' win over College of Charleston gave head coach Ginny Boggess her 50th coaching win in her 90th game at Monmouth. She is the seventh coach in program history to reach the 50 win mark. 

700 AND COUNTING
Center Belle Kranbuhl had 23 rebounds in two games last weekend for the Hawks. That gave her 203 rebounds for the season and 716 for her career. Kranbuhl's 203 rebounds are a  single-season career high for the senior. She is the 12th player in program history to record at least 700 career rebounds and the first since Lucy Thomas (701 - 2018-23). Kranbuhl needs seven more rebounds to move into the top 10 for career rebounding. 

BE BIG IN THE LANE
The Hawks had five blocks in the win over College of Charleston on Sunday. Taisha Exanor had two blocks in that game while Kaci Donovan, Belle Kranbuhl and Sandrine Clesca each added one rejections.

That brings the Monmouth blocks total for the season to 154. 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 26 games. The Hawks are 5th nationally in blocks per game (5.9). Monmouth has posted at least eight blocks in a game eight times this season. Belle Kranbuhl leads the Hawks with 65 blocks and ranks 15th nationally in blocks per game (2.5). Twelve different Hawks have recorded at least one block this season.

FABULOUS AT FORTY 
Monmouth finished the game versus College of Charleston shooting 49% from the field. It was the 14th time the Hawks have shot 40% or better from the field and Monmouth is 11-3 in those contests. The Hawks posted their best field goal percentage of the season against Drexel. 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).

SCOUTING THE PRIDE
Hofstra sits at 9-17 on the year and 3-12 in CAA play. The Pride are coming off a 48-42 loss to Hampton on Friday night. Emma Von Essen paces the Pride on the season as she is averaging 12.8 points per game with 76 three-pointers made. Zyheima Swint is adding 8.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

UP NEXT
Monmouth visits Towson on Thursday, Mar. 7 before returning home to host UNCW on Saturday, Mar. 9.