WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - While one former Monmouth University women's basketball player has led her professional team scoring during the season's first two games, another has just signed to play in Luxembourg. Jennifer Bender (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) has paced the SV Halle Lions of German DBBL League in the club's first two contests in scoring, while LaKia Barber (Clinton, Md. /Gwynn Park) has signed on with BBC Black Star Mersch of the Diekirch League (Luxembourg's highest division).

Bender paced the Lions in their first two games, debuting with 24 points and eight rebounds in 34 minutes of action in a 70-60 win over Herner TC on September 26. Then in her second contest, she scored 23 points and had six rebounds in 27 minutes against Leipzig. Bender has connected on 19-of-30 field goals and 9-of-13 free throws in her two games.

Barber signed on with BBC Black Star Mersch in late September and is with the club now. Barber was a Northeast Conference All-Tournament selection this past season with the Hawks.

Bender, a First Team All-Northeast Conference selection this past season as a senior, Bender became the 14th player in Monmouth history to reach 1,000 points and closed out her star-studded career sixth on the school's all-time career list with 1,301 points and 727 rebounds, respectively.  She also compiled a 3.50 grade point average majoring in Communications, was named the NEC Winter Scholar-Athlete and also earned a place on the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine District II Academic All-American Team this season.

Barber, who finished her Monmouth career with 937 points, which is good enough for 15th all-time in program history, was second on the team this past season in scoring with 12.7 points per game. She was Monmouth's first all-tournament selection since 2003-04.