FINAL SCORE
Monmouth 70 (20-8, 13-4 CAA)
Towson 64 (18-10, 10-7 CAA)

TOWSON, Md. – A gritty team effort powered the Monmouth University women's basketball team to a 70-64 comeback win at Towson University in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play on Thursday night. 
 
The Hawks ran their current win streak to six straight and their road win streak to 12 straight games with the victory. Monmouth also secured its 20th win of the season with the victory. 
 
Towson had the hot shooting hand to start the game as the home team took a 12-2 lead with 2:42 to play in the period. The Hawks scored seven of the final nine points in the quarter, but Towson led 14-9 after one. Jania Hall had four points in that stretch for Monmouth. 
 
The Tigers scored the first eight points of the second quarter and led 22-9 with 6:27 to go until the break. That was Towson's largest lead of the game. Monmouth closed the period out on a 13-6 run and cut the Towson lead to six, 28-22. Rosalie Mercille scored six in that closing stretch. 
 
Monmouth opened the third quarter on an 8-2 run and tied the game at 30-30 with 7:35 showing on the clock. Ariana Vanderhoop had a pair of triples in that stretch The two sides traded points over the next several minutes. Towson took a 43-38 lead with 3:42 left in the period. Monmouth scored 10 of the final 16 points in the quarter and cut the Towson lead to one, 49-48. Monmouth got a pair of big three-pointers from Mercille and Kayla Richardson in the final 1:06 of the period.
 
Mercille hit a pair of triples to start the fourth quarter as Monmouth led 54-51 with 9:14 to go in the game. The Hawks and Tigers went back-and-forth over the next several minutes and found themselves tied at 59-59 with 3:14 left. Vanderhoop and Hall accounted for six of the game's next seven points as Monmouth led 65-60 with 27 seconds on the clock. Monmouth pushed its lead to six, 68-62 with nine seconds to go. The Hawks closed out a 70-64 win on a pair of free throws from Jaye Haynes with two seconds to go. 

NOTES & QUOTES
"This team continues to impress me with their toughness and resiliency. This was a gritty hard-fought battle, we had 38 points from our bench, and everyone stepped up in the big moments. I'm so proud of our undefeated road record in conference play! I look forward to honoring and celebrating our six graduating seniors Saturday."
    - Head coach Ginny Boggess

- The Hawks swept the season series from Towson with the win. Monmouth now leads the all-time series with the Hawks 3-1.
- The Hawks rolled their current win streak to six straight games. It is the longest win streak under head coach Ginny Boggess and the longest win streak by a Monmouth team since the 2011-12 team won eight straight. 
- Monmouth stretched its current road win streak to 12 straight games. The Hawks own the third longest road win streak in the country right now and finished their CAA road slate with a 9-0 mark.  
- The Hawks won their 20th game of the season with the victory over Towson. The 2023-24 team becomes the first Monmouth squad since the 2010-11 squad to win 20 games. It's also the sixth time in program history that a Monmouth squad has won 20 or more games. 
- The Hawks moved into solo possession of second place in the CAA standings with one game remaining in the regular season. 
- Rosalie Mercille paced the Hawks with 20 points. She shot 6-for-10 from the floor, including 5-for-8 from three-point range to match her career-high for points. 
- Ariana Vanderhoop added 17 points and has scored in double figures in six straight games and 15 this season. 
- Jania Hall contributed 13 points and has now reached double figures in 14 games.
- Taisha Exanor led the Hawks with eight rebounds.
- Belle Kranbuhl led the Hawks with a season-high six blocks in the game.
- Kranbuhl's blocks helped the Hawks raise their season total to 165 rejections. It's the third most blocks in single-season history at Monmouth and the most since the 1990-91 team had 161.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
- Monmouth shot 44.4% from the field, including 57.7% from the field after halftime. Towson shot 41.3% from the field in the game.
- The Hawks knocked down nine three-pointers in the game to Towson's four. 
- Monmouth took advantage of its chances at the foul line going 13-for-16 in the game and 11-for-12 in the second half. 
- The Hawks won the rebounding battle, 37-32. 
- Monmouth made its presence felt in the lane with seven blocked shots. 
- The Monmouth bench came through in the game with 38 points.
 
NEXT UP
Monmouth closes out the regular season on Saturday, Mar. 9 when it hosts UNCW at 3 p.m. The Hawks will honor seniors Ariana Vanderhoop, Kaci Donovan, Antonia Panayides, Jania Hall, Belle Kranbuhl and Kayla Richardson at the game.