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Monmouth University Athletics

Sandrine Clesca dribbles the ball in one hand as she looks to move around a defender
Mike Majewski
Sandrine Clesca and the Hawks face Duquesne on Monday night.

Monmouth Heads to Duquesne For WNIT Second Round

March 24, 2024

2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Thirty-Two Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (22-9, 14-4 CAA) at Duquesne Dukes (20-13, 13-5 A-10)
Monday, Mar. 22, 2024 - 6:00 p.m.  
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse - Pittsburgh, Pa.

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OPENING TIP
• Monmouth is on the road again as the Hawks visit Duquesne in the second round of the WNIT.
• MU picked up its first post season win with the victory at Buffalo, since the 1982-83 team won an NCAA Tournament play-in game.
• Monmouth extended its road win streak with the victory over Buffalo. The Hawks have now won 13 straight true road games. The Hawks set the school record for longest road win streak in the process and hold the second longest road win streak in the country.
• This will be the first ever meeting between the Hawks and the Dukes. Monmouth does have a win over an A-10 Conference team this season as the Hawks beat UMass at home in November.
• The Hawks had four blocks at Buffalo, raising their season total to 181. Monmouth is just five blocks away from tying the school record for blocks in a single-season.
• Monmouth enters Monday's game with 22 wins on the season. The Hawks are one win shy of tying the school record for victories in a single-season.
• The Hawks went 20-for-22 from the foul line against Buffalo. It was the third time this season they have hit 20 or more free throws in a single-game.
• Taisha Exanor led the Hawks with a career-high 16 points against Buffalo.
• Kaci Donovan has 57 made three-pointers this season. She needs just one more to move into the top 15 for single-season triples made.
• Belle Kranbuhl had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds on Thursday night at Buffalo.

SEEING DOUBLE 
Belle Kranbuhl led the Hawks with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Buffalo on Thursday. It was Kranbuhl's first double-double of the season and fifth of her career. Her 12 points in the game were a season-high for the senior. It was her seventh game of the season with double digit rebounds. 

JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN 
Monmouth has found plenty of success away from the OceanFirst Bank Center this season. The Hawks moved to  13-2 in true road games this season with the win over Buffalo. Monmouth fell in its first two road games of the season before embarking on its current streak. The Hawks set the school record for longest road win streak in the process and enters the WNIT Second Round with the second longest road win streak in the country. 

On the road, this season the Hawks are averaging 63.6 points and 40.9 rebounds per game. Monmouth has demonstrated a balanced attack on the road as five student-athletes are averaging better than seven points per game. That group is led by Ariana Vanderhoop, who is averaging 10.6 points per game. Defensively, Belle Kranbuhl is pulling down 7.9 rebounds per game with 38 blocks. 

BE BIG IN THE LANE
The Hawks had four blocks vs. Buffalo in the first round of the WNIT. Belle Kranbuhl and Ella Farrelly each had two rejections in the game for the Hawks. 

That brings the Monmouth blocks total for the season to 181. The Hawks moved past the 1985-86 (179) team for second place on the single-season blocks list at Towson. Monmouth needs just five more blocks to tie the 1986-87 team for the most blocks in a single-season at Monmouth (186). 

So far this season, the Hawks have recorded at least six blocks in 17 of 31 games. The Hawks are 5th nationally in blocks per game (5.8). Monmouth has posted at least eight blocks in a game eight times this season. Belle Kranbuhl leads the Hawks with 76 blocks and ranks 17th nationally in blocks per game (2.45). Twelve different Hawks have recorded at least one block this season.

WE'LL TAKE THE CHARITY 
Monmouth turned in a strong performance at the foul line against Buffalo. Monmouth went 20-for-22 (90.9%) from the charity stripe in that game, including 8-for-9 marks in the second and fourth quarters. Highlighting the efforts was senior Jania Hall, who was a perfect 9-for-9 from the stripe in the game. It was Hall's second game this season in which she has made nine or more free throws in a game and was perfect from the line (11-for-11 at N.C. A&T, 9-for-9 at Buffalo).

It was the third time this season the Hawks have made at least 20 free throws in a game this season (Georgian Court, North Carolina A&T, Buffalo). It also was the 15th time this season that Monmouth has made 13 or more free throws in a game. The Hawks are 13-2 when they make 13 or more free throws in a game. The Hawks' 28 made free throws against the Aggies were the most by a Hawks squad under head coach Ginny Boggess and the most by a Hawks squad in the last 10 years. 

RACKING UP THE WINS  
The win over Buffalo in the first round of the WNIT improved the Hawks to 22 wins overall. The hawks are just one win away from tying the school record for wins in a season (1986-87, 2010-11). Monmouth recorded 20 wins in a season for the first time since the 2010-11 team won at least 20 games. It's the sixth time in program history, the Hawks have won at least 20 games in a season. The win over UNCW in the regular season finale also gave the Hawks' their 14th win in conference play. It's the first time since the 2010-11 team that the Hawks have won at least 13 games in conference play and its the third most conference wins in program history.

CLEANING THE GLASS
Monmouth won the rebounding battle against Buffalo, 47-38. Belle Kranbuhl led the way with 12 rebounds while Ella Farrelly added nine boards. 

Monmouth has now outrebounded their opponent in 25 games this season. The Hawks entered the second round of the tournament leading the CAA with a +8.0 rebounding margin. 

The Hawks are 15-2 this season when they pull down 40 or more rebounds in a game and 13-0 when they win the rebounding battle by a +10 margin.

SCOUTING THE DUKES
Duquesne is coming off a first round bye in the WNIT. The Dukes finished the regular season with a 20-12 mark and advanced to the A-10 Semifinals. Duquesne is led by First Team All A-10 selection Megan McConnell. McConnell is averaging  13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game with 150 assists. Amaya Hamilton is adding 9.6 points per game.

UP NEXT
The winner of Monday's game will face the winner of Purdue/Butler in the Super 16 Round.

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