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WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ  —Monmouth women's basketball battled until the final horn Friday  night, but a second-half surge from North Carolina A&T proved to be the difference in a 71-65 loss at OceanFirst Bank Center.

Monmouth erased an eight-point halftime deficit with a dominant third quarter, outscoring N.C. A&T 22-11 to take a 50-45 lead into the final frame. The Hawks shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half and caught fire late in the third, using an 8-0 run to swing momentum in front of a crowd of 850.

Alexis Andrews paced Monmouth with 19 points, knocking down five three-pointers, including a clutch triple with 2:56 left in the third that gave the Hawks their first lead since the opening quarter. Madalena Amaro added 14 points and six rebounds, while Ella Farrelly chipped in 11 points. Alexis Davis provided a strong presence on the glass with seven rebounds and went 4-for-6 from the free throw line.

After trailing 34-28 at the break, the Hawks tightened up defensively and turned stops into offense. A fast-break layup from Divine Dibula and back-to-back threes from Andrews and Kathy Kersaint ignited the run. Amaro's triple with 45 seconds left in the quarter pushed Monmouth ahead 48-45, and Davis calmly sank two free throws to give the Hawks a five-point cushion entering the fourth.

N.C. A&T responded in the final period behind a 26-point fourth-quarter outburst. Chaniya Clark led all scorers with 26 points, going a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line. The Aggies capitalized at the stripe down the stretch and controlled the paint, finishing with a 28-12 edge in points inside.

Monmouth cut the deficit to one midway through the fourth, but the Aggies answered with timely baskets and defensive stops to regain control. Despite shooting 49 percent from the field and 84 percent from the line as a team, the Hawks were unable to overcome N.C. A&T's late surge.

Notes and Numbers
 

• Monmouth knocked down a season-high 14 three-pointers, shooting 14-of-37 (37.8%) from the field
• Madalena Amaro finished with a career-high 14 points and a career-high four three-pointers
• Alexis Andrews knocked down a team-high 19 points, finishing with five triples
• Ella Farrelly knocked down a career-high three triples
• Gigi Gamble dished out a game-high of five assists
• The Hawks shot 20-of-52 (38.5%) from the field while the Aggies shot 24-of-49 (49% from the field
• Friday's game featured 42 fouls and 35 free throws between the two teams

Up Next
Monmouth will host Hofstra on Sunday for Senior Day on Sunday at 3 p.m. Sunday's game will be broadcast on FloCollege.