2023-24 Monmouth Women's Basketball Game Twenty-Nine Preview
                                                                                       
Monmouth Hawks (20-8, 13-4 CAA) vs. UNCW Seahawks (5-23, 3-14 CAA)
Saturday, Mar. 9, 2024 - 3:00 p.m.  
OceanFirst Bank Center - West Long Branch, N.J.

Watch
SNY/FloSports
Maria Marino (Play-by-Play)
Dominique Patrick (Color)

OPENING TIP
• The Hawks play their final game of the regular season when they welcome UNCW to the OceanFirst Bank Center. The Hawks will honor six seniors (Ariana Vanderhoop, Kaci Donovan, Antonia Panayides, Jania Hall, Belle Kranbuhl and Kayla Richardson) prior to the game. Fans are encouraged to be in theirs seats by 2:30 to not miss the ceremony.
• MU is coming off a 70-64 win over Towson on Thursday that stretched its current win streak to six straight games. It's the longest win streak under head coach Ginny Boggess.
• Monmouth ran it's road win streak to 12 straight games and finished the CAA regular season with a perfect 9-0 mark on the road.
• This will be the first meeting of the season between Monmouth and UNCW. It's just the third all-time meeting in a series that is tied at 1-1 after Monmouth's 55-52 win last year in Wilmington.
• The win over Towson gave Monmouth 20 wins on the season. It is the first time since the 2010-11 season that a Monmouth squad won at least 20 games.
• Rosalie Mercille matched her career-high with 20 points, including 14 in the second half to help the Hawks beat Towson.
• With one game left in the regular season, Monmouth sits in sole possesion of second place in the standings.
• The Hawks finished with seven blocks against the Tigers, raising their season total to 165 blocks. It's the most blocks by a Monmouth squad since 1990-91.
• Monmouth entered play this weekend ranked fifth nationally in blocks per game (5.9).
• Monmouth took advantage of its chances from the foul line against Towson. The Hawks were 13-for-16 in the game, including 11-for-12 in the second half.
• Belle Kranbuhl has 727 career rebounds and moved into the top 10 for career rebounds during the Towson game.
 

RACKING UP THE WINS  
Thursday night's win at Towson improved the Hawks to 20-8 overall and 13-4 in CAA play. 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 also gave the Hawks' their 13th 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 tied for the third most conference wins in program history.

KEEP THOSE STREAKS ROLLING 
Monmouth's win over Towson extended a pair of impressive streaks for the Hawks. It was Monmouth's sixth straight victory and 12th straight win on the road. 

The six straight wins gives Monmouth its longest win streak under head coach Ginny Boggess and is the longest win streak by a Monmouth squad since the 2011-12 team won eight straight. 

Monmouth closed out its regular season road slate with 12 straight wins. It's the longest road win streak in program history and the Hawks enter play this weekend with the third longest current road win streak in the country.

BE BIG IN THE LANE
The Hawks had seven blocks in the win at Towson on Thursday night. Belle Kranbuhl led the way with a season-high six blocks while Taisha Exanor also registered one rejection.

That brings the Monmouth blocks total for the season to 165. The Hawks moved past the 1990-91 (161) team for the third most blocks in a single-season.

So far this season, the Hawks have recorded at least six blocks in 15 of 28 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. Kranbuhl leads the Hawks with 73 blocks and ranks 14th nationally in blocks per game (2.61). Twelve different Hawks have recorded at least one block this season.

TWENTY-TWENTY VISION
Rosalie Mercille exploded for 20 points on Thursday night at Towson, including 14 in the second half as the Hawks staged their comeback. The freshman guard matched her career-high for points in that game. Mercille was an impressive 5-for-8 from three point range in that game. It marked her second 20+ performance of the season and it was the eighth time this season a Hawk has scored 20 or more points in a game.

WE'LL TAKE THE CHARITY 
Monmouth went 13-for-16 from the foul line against Towson. Jania Hall and Rosalie Mercille each went 3-for-4 to pace the efforts. 

It was the third straight game the Hawks have made 13 free throws and the 14th time this season that Monmouth has made 13 or more free throws in a game. The Hawks are 11-2 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. 

LENDING A HELPING HAND 
Monmouth finished with 11 assists against Towson. Belle Kranbuhl led the Hawks with three assists in that contest. 

The Hawks have done a pretty good job of sharing the basketball this season. Thursday's game against Towson was the 20th time this season that the Hawks have handed double digit assists and Monmouth is 17-3 in those contests. Nine different Hawks have handed out at least 10 assists this season. Leading that group is Sandrine Clesca, who has 66 helpers on the year. Jania Hall (53) and Belle Kranbuhl (46) join Clesca as the Hawks that have dished out 40 or more assists on the season.

GOING DEEP
The Hawks hit nine three-pointers in the win over Towson, including seven in the second half. Rosalie Mercille led the Monmouth efforts with five. 

The Hawks are 5-0 this season when they hit nine or more triples in a game. Three Hawks have hit 25 or more triples this season (Kaci Donovan-53, Rosalie Mercille-32, Ariana Vanderhoop-26).

SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
UNCW sits at 5-23 overall and 3-11 in CAA play following an 81-51 set back to Delaware on Thursday night. Taylor Henderson leads the Seahawks as she is averaging 14.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Evan Miller is adding 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. 

UP NEXT
Monmouth will be back in action at the CAA Tournament in Washington, D.C. on March 15. Stay tuned to MonmouthHawks.com to find out who the Hawks will play.