Monmouth Wins First CAA Women's Basketball Championship
Monmouth Wins First CAA Women's Basketball Championship
Seventh-seeded Monmouth became the first team in league history to win four games in four days and earn the CAA Women’s Basketball title.
Seventh-seeded Monmouth became the first team in league history to win four games in four days and earn the CAA Women’s Basketball title.
The Hawks defeated top-seeded Towson in the final of the CAA Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Primis on Sunday afternoon, 80-55. The event took place at SECU Arena.
On the way to the title, Monmouth defeated the top three seeds and co-regular season champions, topping No. 2 Drexel, No. 3 Northeastern and No. 1 Towson during the magical run. The Hawks became the lowest seed in conference history to cut down the net.
Monmouth (18-15) now will represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament, having also claimed the league’s automatic qualifying bid in its first CAA season.
It will be the first appearance in the Big Dance for the Hawks since 1983, and they will learn their fate Sunday at 8 p.m. during the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball selection show on ESPN.
Towson falls to 21-11 but will make its second straight WNIT appearance as the CAA’s automatic qualifier.
Championship highlights... need we say more?@MUHawksWBB is on to the Big Dance!#FlyHawks 🎥 pic.twitter.com/QiBNrtNpRK
— Monmouth Hawks (@MonmouthHawks) March 12, 2023
Bri Tinsley led Monmouth in scoring for the fourth time in as many games during the tournament, recording a game-high 18 points, and she was named the Most Outstanding Player of the CAA Championship.
Ariana Vanderhoop, who had her best performance in the championship game, scored 16 of her 17 points in the first half and added eight rebounds to kickstart the Hawks on Sunday.
Alexia Nelson paced Towson with 13 points, and Kylie Kornegay-Lucas reached double figures for the third time in the tournament, adding 12 points for Towson.
Monmouth hit its first four shots from the floor and sprinted out to a 10-0 lead just 1:50 into the game.
Tinsley opened the scoring with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, before seven straight points from Vanderhoop, who had 12 in the frame.
The Hawks pushed the lead to as many as 13 (15-2), before taking a 22-14 advantage after one quarter.
Trailing 28-19 at the 6:34 mark in the second quarter, Towson went on an 8-0 run in 50 seconds, capped with Anissa Rivera converting a three-point play after a steal to pull the Tigers within one.
Lovin Marsicano weathered the storm with three, pushing the lead to 31-27.
The teams traded blows before Tinsley splashed home the Hawks’ sixth 3-pointer of the first half with 15 seconds on the clock, and Monmouth took a 44-34 lead into the break.
The defense intensified in the third, as the teams combined to shoot 8-of-30 in the quarter.
The Hawks and Tigers traded baskets over the first 2:41, before five points in a row pulled Towson to 48-41. However, that was as close as the Tigers would get.
The Hawks extended their lead to 56-43 at the end of the third quarter, before outscoring Towson 24-12 in the fourth to earn a wire-to-wire victory.
Monmouth had a plus-14 edge on the glass, winning the rebounding margin for the fourth straight game in the tournament.
The Hawks shot 51% (26-of-51) from the floor, including seven made 3s, and held Towson to 34.9% (22-of-63).
So well-deserved!
— CAA Basketball (@CAABasketball) March 12, 2023
The Most Outstanding Player is @MUHawksWBB's Bri Tinsley!
Tinsley led the Hawks today scoring 18 pts 👏#CAAHoops pic.twitter.com/t48Xcqlflc
2023 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team
Bri Tinsley, Monmouth (MOP)
Lovin Marsicano, Monmouth
Quinzia Fulmore, Towson
Kylie Kornegay-Lucas, Towson
Derin Erdogan, Northeastern
Sydney Wagner, William & Mary