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PISCATAWAY, NJ — Monmouth hits the road Wednesday for the first time on the year to face New Jersey counterpart Rutgers University for just the third time ever.

The Hawks enter the matchup at 2-0 for the first time since 2003 and third since its inception. The team has never started 3-0 in their 42-year history, and a victory would also signify the program's second ever over a Power-4 opponent and first since 2001. Monmouth had defeated the Big Ten's Northwestern on Nov. 24, 2001.

Monmouth and Rutgers have competed against each other just two other times before, coming during the 2020-21 and 2023-24 seasons. The Scarlet Knights won both matchups, which were played in Piscataway, New Jersey.

The last time the two programs tip-offed was on Nov. 6, 2023, with the Hawks making a late fourth quarter comeback after being down as many as 12 points to cut the deficit to four late. However the Scarlet Knights held on down the stretch and earned a tight, 56-51 win. Monmouth went onto make history that year, finishing 22-10 and 14-4.

The Hawks have the potential to match and even surpass that same mark this season as they were ranked at No. 12 by collegeinsider.com for Mid-Major programs entering the season, it's first national recognition in program history. Monmouth also made history earning the program's first No. 1 Preseason ranking and became the CAA's third ever unanimous Preseason No. 1 pick. Gigi Gamble became the program's first CAA Preseason Player of the Year with Gamble and Divine Dibula the first duo to earn CAA Preseason First-Team selections for the program.
 

After leading her team to two wins to start the year, Gamble was this season's first CAA Player of the Week selection after averaging 23.5 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. She posted a game-high 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting with a team-high three steals and two rebounds in a comfortable 63-40 victory over Binghamton. Gamble backed up that performance with a prolific, 28-point outing, leading all scorers, while totaling six boards, three assists and a steal in a 75-67 win over Lehigh Friday.

Dibula has also had a hot start to the year, opening up with her 10th double-double of her career after totaling 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting with 10 rebounds, a block and two steals against the Bearcats. She then secured a season-high in the victory over the Mountain Hawks, recording 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting with nine boards, two assist, a block and a steal.
Through their first two games, Monmouth has averaged just less than 70 points per game, while shooting 39 percent from the field. Defensively, the Hawks have been stout. They've kept their two oppositions to just 33 percent shooting from the field and less than 20 percent from 3-point range. They've also forced 43 turnovers between their opening outings with 21 combined steals.

The Scarlet Knights also go into the matchup undefeated at 3-0, defeating LIU, La Salle and Indiana State, all by double figures. They are led by Paterson, NJ native Mia Pauldo who transferred over from the University of Tennessee. The sophomore leads the team with 25.3 points per game, hitting 37.5 percent from the field and about 29 percent from 3-point range, while totaling five boards, six assists and five steals per game. She is coming off a 33-point outing in a 107-76 win over Indiana State where she got to the line 17 times, making 16.

Zachara Perkins and Jaylah Lampley follow offensively for Rutgers. The 6-foot, 3-inch Perkins is second on the team in points averaging 14 per game on 48 percent shooting including 75 percent (6-for-8) from behind the arc. She has pulled down 24 boards through three games to average eight a contest with seven blocks and four steals. She's coming off a 22-point outing where she hit 4-for-4 from 3-point range, while going 6-for-6 from the foul line. The 6-1 Lampley, who transferred over from Mississippi State, has averaged 13.3 points on 44 percent shooting, while also totaling 5.3 rebounds per game.

As a team, the Scarlett Knights are averaging more than 88 points per game with a scoring margin of plus-25. Offensively, they're shooting above 41 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range. Defensively they've forced teams into about 24 turnovers per game with a turnover-margin of plus 11.7 while totaling 13 steals and nearly five blocks per game.
 
GAME INFO:
Monmouth Hawks (2-0 overall, 0-0 CAA) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-0, 0-0 BIG TEN)
Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
Jersey Mike's Arena (Piscataway, NJ)
Live: Big Ten Network

NEXT UP:
-The Hawks will host Bryant & Stratton at home on Friday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. in the HMAC
-The game will be broadcasted live on Flo College
-It will be the first matchup between the two programs

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