Monmouth roundup

The Monmouth University women's basketball team looks to snap a three-game losing streak when they host Northeast Conference opponent Wagner on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. The Hawks and Seahawks are the final two teams in the league who have yet to record a conference win.

The Hawks are coming off a 66-62 loss at the hands of Quinnipiac this past Saturday. MU was led by Jennifer Bender who scored 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds against the Bobcats. Quinnipiac used a 14-2 run during the middle of the second half to take a 15 point lead, it's largest of the game, but Monmouth launched a run of its own to put a scare into the NEC's first-place and unbeaten Bobcats. MU outscored Quinnipiac 12-2 from the 7:23 mark to the 2:06 point in the second half to take its first lead since late in the first half, but couldn't finish QU off as the visitors came away with the four point win. LaKia Barber (Clinton,Md./Gwynn Park) joined Bender in double figures with 13 points starting for the injured Rachel Ferdinand.

Wagner is coming off an 81-74 loss to Saint Francis (Pa.) this past Saturday. The Seahawks scored 48 points after halftime to make a game of it against the Red Flash. Wagner is led by Chelsey Bunyer, who is averaging 10.7 points per game on the season.

Monmouth leads the all-time series against Wagner 33-21, including holding a 15-8 advantage at Boylan Gym.

The Monmouth men's basketball team dropped a 71-58 decision to visiting Quinnipiac in Northeast Conference action, on Saturday night. The Hawks, who trailed 50-49 with 8:38 remaining, were outscored 21-9 for the remainder of the contest, to fall to 4-13 on the season, and 1-4 in the NEC.

Quinnipiac improves to 8-8 overall and 4-1 in conference play.

Monmouth opened with a 5-2 lead at 18:20 after Nick DelTufo's jumper, but Quinnipiac answered with a 10-0 run, over 3:30, capped by Evann Baker's wing three-pointer.

The Hawks responded with a10-1 spurt over a three minute span to pull within 16-15 when Yaniv Simpson drained a trifecta.

The Bobcats built a five-point edge, 23- 18, with 8:20 left as Baker connected on another trey, but Monmouth clawed its way into the lead, 27-26, with 3:49 remaining until the break, whenAlex Nunner dropped in a hoop off an inbounds play.

Trailing by four, Nunner drilled a corner trey with 1:56 remaining to make the score 31-30, and Jhamar Youngblood's scoop in the lane made the score 36-34 at the intermission.

Quinnipiac opened the second stanza with a 13-5 spurt to corral a 49-39 advantage with 13:28 showing. DeMario Anderson's transition three-pointer capped the run, in which Whitney Coleman netted four of the Hawks' points.

After QU matched its largest lead of the game,Monmouth answered with a 10- 1 spurt, capped by consecutive threes from R.J. Rutledge and Simpson, to pull within 50-49, with 8:38 left.

The Bobcats scored the eight points, over a 2:14 span, to reclaim a 58-49 advantage, but DelTufo's put-back ended the run and made the score 58-51, with 5:25 remaining.

QU outscored Monmouth 11-5 over the next 3:16 to corral a 69-56 edgewith 2:09 left, and held on for the 13-point victory.

Monmouth, now 1-6 at home, was led by the duo of Coleman and Youngblood, who collected 18 and 12 points respectively. Simpson added nine points, while DelTufo chipped in eight.

Quinnipiac, who connected on 23-of-28 free throws in the game, had two players score over 20 points, as DeMarioAnderson collected a game-high 24 points. Baker added 21 points, as the Bobcats hit for 51.3% from the floor.

Monmouth returns to action on Thursday night, when the Hawks host defending league champion CCSU, at 7 p.m.