The women’s basketball team fell to Quinnipiac University 74-54 Saturday afternoon in Hamden, CT.
Senior guard Tyese Purvis led the Hawks with eight points, and sophomore center Erica Balman added six. The Hawks had four players score five in the game, but no one reached double figures.
Monmouth had a two-point lead with 5:35 remaining in the opening quarter, but a three-point basket from Quinnipiac gave them the lead, one that they never relinquished.
“It was just one of those games where it seemed like we couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end,” Monmouth Head Coach Jenny Palmateer said, “They really shot the ball well, especially from the three-point line and we couldn’t withstand that. We didn’t adjust very well to the physicality and the way the game was being called, especially in the first half.”
The Hawks were outscored 39-22 in the first half, only scoring nine points in the first quarter. For the game, the Hawks shot 33.3 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from three. The Monmouth bench outscored its opponent for the 20th time out of 22 games this season.
Freshman guard Kayla Shaw scored her 66th three-point shot this season, making a three in 20 of the 22 games this year.
The loss was the third straight for the Hawks, who were looking to rebound from a 71-69 loss to Rider Thursday night at the OceanFirst Bank Center.
Purvis led the Hawks in scoring with 17 points, with Shaw scoring 11, connecting on three shots from beyond the arch.
Monmouth started out hot, using a 12-0 run to bolster a 20-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Junior guard Kayla Quintana scored nine points in the first quarter to lead the Hawks. Rider slowly crawled back into the game, utilizing a 2:15 Monmouth scoring drought to cut the deficit to two points, 35-33, at halftime.
The Hawks would get hot again though, using another 12-0 run to open their lead to 47-35 halfway through the third quarter. Once again, Rider was able to claw back into the game, making the margin five late in the quarter. Shaw hit a three to end the quarter, making the score 54-46 going into the fourth.
Monmouth built another double-digit lead, as a three from Purvis made the score 62-52 with 6:25 remaining in the game. One final time, Rider battled back, using a 15-5 run spanning close to six minutes to take their first lead of the game with 28.1 seconds remaining. Freshman guard Rosa Graham drove to the basket, converting on a layup to tie the game at 69. Rider responded one final time, drawing a foul and converting on two free throws with 3.1 seconds left. Monmouth could not score on the final possession, making the final score 71-69.
“We were working hard in the beginning, having a large lead,” Purvis said after the game, “but we just couldn’t come out on top tonight. We had some turnovers and didn’t box out as much, but we worked hard tonight and we have to learn from this loss.”
The Hawks turned the ball over 29 times in the game, leading to 33 points for Rider. Monmouth shot 50 percent from the field, which was a season-high, and 64.7 percent from three, while out-rebounding the Hawks by seven. The Monmouth bench outscored Rider’s 40-7 Thursday night.
“Our team showed some fight in the second half, but unfortunately there were two things that did us in,” Palmateer said after the game. “The first was we put them on the foul line way too much, and the second was turning the ball over way too much.”
With the loss on Saturday, the Hawks dropped to 10-12 on the season, with a 5-8 record in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play. Monmouth hopes to respond Friday night, as they travel to face hOURglass rival Saint Peter’s. Tip-off from the Yanitelli Center is set for 7:00.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth University Athletics
