FINAL SCORE
Monmouth (13-11, 8-5 CAA) – 62
Hampton (6-18, 2-11 CAA) – 60
 
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Point guard Damaris Rodriguez got a clutch three-point play with 36 seconds remaining to lift the Monmouth University Women's Basketball Team to a 62-60 victory on Sunday afternoon at the OceanFirst Bank Center, making it four straight home victories for the Hawks.
 
Taisha Exanor led Monmouth with 18 points and 11 rebounds, notching another double-double while adding two blocks and a steal. Divine Dibula provided a strong presence inside, scoring 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds of her own off the bench. Rodriguez added 12 points and dished out seven assists, including the game-winning free throw following a layup through contact.
 
Hampton (6-18, 2-11 CAA) got off to a hot start, shooting 84.6% in the first quarter to take a 25-17 lead. Monmouth responded with an explosive second quarter, outscoring the Pirates 22-6 behind dominant defense and efficient scoring. The Hawks held Hampton to just 7.1% shooting in the period while converting 50% of their own shots to take a 39-31 lead into halftime.
 
Hampton clawed back in the third, cutting Monmouth's lead to one late in the quarter with a 9-2 run. The Pirates continued to battle in the fourth, briefly taking a 60-59 lead with under a minute remaining. Rodriguez answered by driving to the basket and sinking a contested layup before drawing a foul, hitting the decisive free throw to give Monmouth the two-point edge.
 
The Hawks controlled the rebounding battle, grabbing 46 boards to Hampton's 26, and outscored the Pirates 44-28 in the paint. Despite shooting just 7.1% from three-point range (1-for-14), Monmouth's aggressive interior play and strong defense proved to be the difference.
 
With the win, Monmouth strengthened its standing in the CAA and will look to continue its momentum as it prepares for another key conference matchup next week.
 
NOTES & QUOTES
"Our defense showed up when it needed to at the end. Hampton is a scrappy team, and I don't think we played well enough on the defensive end in the first quarter. As the game went on, we increased our intensity and stuck to the gameplan." – Head Coach Cait Wetmore
 
- Exanor now has seven double-doubles on the season, a team high.
- It's Exanor's third straight double-double.
- Dibula has her second double-double in the last four games.
- The Hawks blocked six shots, raising their season total to 116 which leads the CAA.
- Monmouth improves to 8-5 in CAA contests and 9-3 at home.
- Monmouth leads all-time series, 3-0.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
- The game featured seven lead changes and three ties.
- The Hawks led for 17:28, while the Pirates led for 20:19.
- Monmouth made 40.0% of its field goals to Hampton's 42.1%.
- MU dominated the rebounding battle, 44-26.
- Hampton outscored Monmouth, 15-13, off turnovers.
- Monmouth had more points in the paint, 44-28.
- The Hawks had more second chance points, 11-6.
- MU had more fastbreak points, 8-8.
- MU had more bench points, 18-8.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks do not play Friday and will continue league play at Hofstra on Sunday, Feb. 23. The game will be broadcast live on FloCollege and MSG Network at 2 p.m.