Hard work often leads to success in the sports world. For Lady Hawks basketball team, this old adage rings true. The Hawk cagers started their season poorly struggling through a 3-8 record prior to the long winter break. Regrouping, the team put together a good run and currently stand with an 11-9 record. The women have high hopes of ending the season with a championship trophy sitting on their mantel.
Being able to bounce back from such a poor record truly shows the Hawks are prepared to put up a battle for their title. When asked why she believed the ladies have been playing so well, freshman Danica Dragicevic said “I think that we are winning because our team sticks together.”
The Monmouth Hawks had the chance to improve their winning streak to ten games with this past weekend since they played Bryant University on Saturday and Central Connecticut State on Monday. They fell to Bryant University this past weekend with a final score of 55-49 snapping their eight-game winning streak.
When asked what sparked the streak to begin with, Coach Palmateer believes, “It was a culmination of the hard work the players have been putting in since the start of the season, the renewed energy the team came back with after Christmas break and great focus and determination. We faced some early season challenges coupled with a very tough non-conference schedule,” Coach Palmateer said, “The result was some tough early season losses but in the long run I feel those challenges have made us stronger as a team.”
During the first half, both teams could not bring about their full attention to the game. Between Monmouth and Bryant, three-pointers were a common mistake and there was a total of 27 turn-overs in that half alone. The two teams were tied at 14-14 during the first half but Bryant was able to pull away with 11 of the next 13 points to put Monmouth at a 25-16 disadvantage. At half time, the Bulldogs had a seven-point advantage at 27-20.
It was difficult to determine who would win as the second half was under way. Although Monmouth never once gained the lead, they had their spurts of energy all throughout the second half of the game. At the four-minute mark, the score was 43-42 in Bryant’s favor, this is closest Monmouth had gotten to taking over the lead during the second half. When the timer read 1:22 left in play, the ladies only had a two-point deficit with a score of 47-45. The Hawks were unable to get any closer to winning and Bryant seized control scoring eight points against Monmouth’s four points. Highlights of the game included Alysha Womack’s team high eleven points and Betsy Gadziala’s team high six rebounds.
Fortunately, the Hawks had a chance to redeem themselves on Monday night when they traveled up north to play Central Connecticut State. Throughout the game, it was apparent the teams were equally matched. Monmouth never gained more than two-point lead during the first half of play. The Hawks and Blue Devils were neck and neck for the first ten minutes but then CCS was able to pull away and with eight minutes left on the clock, they had a comfortable eight-point lead.
It was not until another three minutes either team would score and fortunately for the Hawks, they were the ones able to put the ball in the basket. Out of the next 19 points, Monmouth had accounted for 12 of them. By half-time, the Hawks were only down by a two-point deficit with a score of 26-24.
The second half of the CCS game proved a challenge for the Hawks, similar to the first. Within two minutes, the Blue Devils took a ten-point lead. The Monmouth ladies were able to cut Connecticut’s advantage down to two points with 11:48 left to play. By then, it was obvious this game would show no clear winner until the buzzer sound. The teams were tied with 5:44 left in play at 48-48 and tied again with 31 seconds left to play at 56-56.
The most exciting event of the night was not the back and forth ongoing battle between the two teams but it was Monmouth’s star player, Womack, who was able to sink a three pointer with :01 left on the clock. The women won the game 59-56 sending them back on a winning streak and increasing their record to a comfortable 12-9 and a 7-3 for the NEC. Womack finished the game with 19 points, 13 of them coming in the second half. With eight regular season games to go, the ladies will verse rival Quinnipiac at home this Saturday. Tip-off is planned for 3:00 pm in the MAC.
As the season is winding down, these upcoming games will surely set the tone for what Monmouth’s postseason play will look like. When asked to comment on what she thinks this season has meant thus far for the team, Coach Palmateer stated, “I feel like this is a building season and that this is a team that could win it all. As a team, we are working toward being able to win that championship; this team is very capable of accomplishing that goal, she continued, “They understand what needs to be done and they are very driven and determined to make that happen. When we bring our A game, we can compete with anyone.” Hopefully this stands true as the Hawks are preparing to face the number 1 and 2 teams in their conference this weekend. Monmouth will host both Quinnipiac on Saturday and Sacred Heart on Monday.
PHOTO COURTESY of MU Athletics
