Final Score
#5 Monmouth (20-10, 12-6 CAA) – 72
#13 UNCW (7-24, 2-16 CAA) – 61
 
WASHINGTON – Monmouth University advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2026 CAA Women's Basketball Championship with a 72-61 victory over UNCW on Thursday afternoon at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. The win clinches the seventh 20-win season in program history, and fourth consecutive season Monmouth has reached the CAA Quarterfinals.
 
The milestone victory gave head coach Cait Wetmore her first 20-win season at the helm of the program. In what was a back-and-forth contest through the first 25 minutes, Monmouth was able to take control and pull away in the second half.
 
Junior guard Gigi Gamble led the Hawks with 17 points, while forward Divine Dibula added 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds in a strong all-around effort. Kathy Kersaint matched her career high with 13 points off the bench, and Alexis Andrews also scored 13 points while distributing a game-high six assists alongside Madalena Amaro. It marked the fifth time this season that four Monmouth players scored in double figures, and the Hawks improved to 4-1 in those games.
 
Monmouth's defensive pressure proved decisive throughout the afternoon. The Hawks forced 23 turnovers and recorded a season-best 15 steals against a Division I opponent, with Dibula setting a career high with five takeaways. The defensive effort sparked Monmouth's fast break offense, an area in which the Hawks dominated the Seahawks, 20-2.
 
On the glass, Monmouth held a commanding 38-25 advantage in rebounds, including 18 offensive boards that led to seven second chance points. The Hawks also dominated inside, outscoring UNCW 42-20 in the paint while shooting 46.2% from the field.
 
After trailing 16-13 at the end of the first quarter, Monmouth responded with an 18-13 second frame to take a 31-29 halftime lead. The Hawks continued to separate in the third quarter, winning the period 23-18 before closing out the win with an 18-14 edge in the fourth.
 
Quotes
"Really proud of this win. It felt like it took us a little bit to get going coming off of our bye, but I thought our defense really gave us the juice we needed down the stretch. I think our press helped us out, which gave us some really good shots on the other end off of those turnovers.
 
We're looking forward to the matchup with Stony Brook. Our players are excited to get another chance to play them." – Head Coach Cait Wetmore
 
Notes & Numbers Crunch
- Monmouth advances to the CAA Quarterfinals for the fourth time in four seasons as members of the league.
- Cait Wetmore notches 20 wins in a season for the first time in her career.
- It was the fifth time this season four Hawks have scored in double figures, and MU is 4-1 in such games.
- Kathy Kersaint tied her career high with 13 points.
- Monmouth forced 15 steals – their most vs. a D-I opponent this season.
- Divine Dibula led the Hawks with five takeaway, which is a career high.
- The Hawks lead the all-time series, 4-2.
- The game featured seven lead changes and four ties.
- The Hawks led for 30:10, while the Seahawks led for 8:46.
- Monmouth made 46.2% of its field goals to UNCW's 43.1%.
- Monmouth won the rebounding battle, 38-25.
- MU outscored UNCW, 22-8, off turnovers.
- The Hawks had more points in the paint, 42-20.
- Both teams had seven second chance points.
- Monmouth had more fast break points, 20-2.
- UNCW had more bench points, 19-15.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks meet No. 4 Stony Brook in the CAA Quarterfinals on Friday, March 13. The game will be streamed live on FloCollege at 2:30 p.m.