Both Men’s and Women’s basketball opened up their seasons with dominating victories, as each took care of Division II opponents.
Women’s basketball opened their season on Monday, Nov. 3 against Chestnut Hill, one of the premiere Division II teams in the region. The Hawks never trailed in the game, and took care of business for a dominant 81-42 victory.
New faces were the name of the game for the Hawks. Junior forward Alexis Davis, who transferred in from the University of Buffalo, had 20 points and 14 rebounds in just 19 minutes in her debut for the Hawks. Sophomore guard Fatumata Djalo, a transfer from Ole Miss, played 20 minutes and scored five points in her debut. Junior guard Gigi Gamble also had six points in her Monmouth debut.
Players returning for the Hawks also shined. Junior forward Divine Dibula, a preseason All-CAA selection, had 12 points and six rebounds in the victory. Sophomore guard Kellyn Preira, who only scored 14 points in the entirety of her freshman year at Monmouth, scored 12 points and played the fourth most minutes of anybody in the first game of her sophomore campaign. Senior forward Ella Farrelly had four points and 10 rebounds in the first game of her fourth season with the Hawks.
The win showcased the depth of the Hawks team, who look to continue to have success in the CAA. In the last three seasons, Monmouth has had a record of .500 or better in conference play.
The day after the women’s basketball team kicked off their season, the men’s team started their campaign against Division II Caldwell. After exchanging the lead back and forth for the first five minutes of the game, Monmouth pulled away and never looked back for a commanding 96-68 victory.
Freshman forward Stefanos Spartalis had 16 points in his collegiate debut, tying for the most points on the team with sophomore guard Justin Ray, who also had 16 points off the bench. Junior forward Jason Rivera-Torres, a transfer from San Francisco, scored 13 points in his Monmouth debut. The rest of the Hawks scoring was spread out, as Spartalis, Ray, and Rivera-Torres were the only three Hawks to score in double digits. Senior guard Jack Collins and junior guard Andrew Ball each had nine points as they returned to Monmouth for another season. Junior forward Cornelius Robinson, who is also a notable returnee for the Hawks, was injured early in the first half and did not return to the game.
Despite both teams winning their first games, they each dropped their second games. Women’s basketball travelled to Rupp Arena to play No. 24 Kentucky, who defeated them 104-46. Senior guard Alexis Andrews, a transfer from Charlotte, had 12 points in the loss. Men’s basketball travelled to Philadelphia, where they lost to the La Salle Explorers 73-60. Rivera-Torres scored 20 points for the Hawks, a career high for him.
This week, women’s basketball traveled to Maryland to play MD Eastern on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Men’s basketball heads to the rock to take on Seton Hall on Thursday, Nov. 13, as they seek to defeat the Pirates for the second straight season.
