Box Score Box Score

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Winthrop women's basketball team received a team-high 22 points from Dequesha McClanahan on Wednesday evening as it defeated the Monmouth Hawks 88-54 at the Multipurpose Activity Center.

The Lady Eagles improve their record to 4-5 on the season, while the Hawks fall to 3-7 overall. The 88 points scored by Winthrop are also a team-high this season and the most in a single game against a Division I opponent since the 2002 season against High Point in overtime.

“I thought we did a tremendous job on the defensive side first and foremost,” said Lady Eagles head coach Marlene Stollings. “We really put a greater emphasis on our defensive effort the last two weeks and our kids executed the game plan at a high level tonight. We were very active tonight, which turned into fast-break, easy buckets for us. Our defense led to good offense.”

The Winthrop offense came out of the gate quickly in the first half scoring its first three baskets via 3-pointers from Samiya Wright and Diana Choibekova. Choibekova opened the half scoring six of the team's first nine points and finished with nine first-half points.
Winthrop led by eight points midway through the first half after a McClanahan basket and then less than 20 seconds later McClanahan made two free throws for a double-figure lead, 25-15. Over the next six and a half minutes, Winthrop used a 14-1 run to open the up the game. The first three minutes of the run only saw one basket, which was a Mary Hathaway three-pointer at the 7:57 mark. Then over a three minute span Winthrop posted 11 points and led 39-16 with 2:37 left.
Winthrop increased its largest lead of the contest 42-18 on a basket by McClanahan before Monmouth posted the final four points of the half from Adriana Allen and Alexis Canady.
The Lady Eagles held the Hawks' offense to just 17 percent shooting (6-for-35) in the first half and prevented them from scoring a basket for almost six minutes as they jumped out to a 30-14 lead after a layup from McClanahan. After allowing two free-throws to Shira Shecht, Winthrop did not give up another point for two minutes and 59 seconds until Shecht hit two more free-throws.
After leading 42-22 at the break, Monmouth scored the first three points of the second half and were able to match Winthrop point-for-point over the first six minutes until the Lady Eagle began to extend their lead. Winthrop led 54-34 with 14:01 remaining and went on a 9-0 run for a 29-point advantage behind two Tiffany Charles' jumpers.

McClanahan scored a team-high 13 points for the Lady Eagles in the first half and shot 45 percent (13-29) from the field and 44 percent (7-for-16) from beyond the three-point line. Winthrop also out-rebounded the Hawks 27-20, with seven coming from TaQuoia Hammick.

With 6:02 remaining, Monmouth got the deficit down to 23 points before Winthrop's offense exploded down the stretch, outscoring the Hawks 20-9.
The Lady Eagles kept up their presence on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball in the second half holding Monmouth to 11 baskets to give them a total of 17 made for the game. Winthrop forced 16 turnovers in the game and turned that into 21 points while also getting out in transition to outscore Monmouth 15-0 on fast break points.
McClanahan led all scorers with 22 points to go along with eight assists and five steals. Wright and Choibekova each added 15 points while Hathaway finished with 11 points. McClanahan was 7-for-15 from the field and Wright finished 5-for-9.
Abby Martin led Monmouth in scoring with 16 points and while Shira Shect scored 12 points off the bench. Martin also had seven rebounds.
Winthrop, which has won two straight, will look to extend its win streak as it takes on Fordham in its next game on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Bronx, NY.