WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Looking to get into the win column in its first road game of the 2021-22 season, the Navy women's basketball team was tripped up by a lengthy scoring drought in the second quarter and were unable to draw closer than nine late in a 57-46 loss at Monmouth University. The Mids' (0-2) offense struggled throughout most of the night as they shot 30 percent as a team and turned the ball over 27 times at OceanFirst Bank Center on Friday night against the Hawks (1-1).
 
Jennifer Coleman (Sr., Richmond, Va.) paced Navy as the squad's only double-digit scorer as she finished with 22 points on seven-of-18 shooting, including three three-pointers. She added seven rebounds and five assists to her final stat-line over 35 minutes of action. Kolbi Green (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) and Morganne Andrews (So., Martinsburg, W.Va.) aided the Mids' effort as Green recorded nine points and six rebounds, while Andrews went for six points and seven rebounds.
 
"We had several breakdowns defensively and struggled offensively against Monmouth's defense," remarked head coach Tim Taylor. "We had some open looks, but could not capitalize. I was disappointed in our effort especially early in the game and dug ourselves a hole that we could not climb out of."
 
The action on Friday night opened evenly as the game was tied 6-6 after three minutes and 10-9 for Navy at the 4:36 mark after layups by Green on consecutive possessions. The next time down the court Monmouth's Kaci Donovan hit a three-pointer to swing the score back in the host's favor and the Hawks would go on to lead for the final 34:23 of play. That trey was the first of eight straight points and Monmouth built out a seven-point advantage, 17-10. Over the final three-plus minutes of the quarter, the Mids scored four of the last seven points courtesy of baskets by Andrews and Coleman.
 
Leading 20-14 after one quarter of play, Monmouth shut out Navy over the first 7:58 of the second period and found itself ahead 32-14. A 6-0 run with four free throws by Coleman and a layup by Green helped the Mids send in the game into halftime at 32-20. Navy's struggles in the second quarter could be contributed to 12 turnovers and a one-for-nine shooting line from the floor.
 
Both teams had a hard time tallying points over the first 3:46 in the third quarter as only five combined points were added to the scoreboard, three for Monmouth and two for Navy. With the score 35-22, Coleman put the Mids' offense on her back with eight points in a row between 6:14 and 4:34 to draw Navy closer at 40-30. Monmouth won the final segment of play in the quarter and took a 45-32 lead into the break.
 
Offensive struggles were a common theme into the fourth period as the first five minutes saw the Hawks net just a three pointer, while the Mids' lone basket was a coast-to-coast layup by Coleman at 6:54. Navy's defense silenced Monmouth down the stretch as the host's final field goal of the game came at 5:00 when Stella Clark sank a three-pointer to go up 51-34. With the Hawks held to just six free throws over the second half of the quarter, the Mids scored 12 points to tighten the final score to a 57-46 margin. A trio of three-pointers over a 40-second span from 1:09 to 0:29 helped Navy's closing push; Green, Sydne Watts (So., Canton, Ga.) and Coleman all recorded treys during this run of action.
 
For the game, Navy outshot Monmouth from the field, 29.5 percent (18-61) to 27.9 (17-61). The Hawks held a minimal edge in three-point shooting at 29.2 percent (7-24) to 25.0 (5-20). Both teams had success at the foul line shooting 80-plus percent, though the Hawks went 16-20 versus a 5-6 showing for the Mids.
 
Navy also won the battle on the glass collecting five more total rebounds than Monmouth, 46-41 and two more offensive rebounds, 13-11. Andrews, Coleman and Watts all finished with seven rebounds.
 
Defensively, Monmouth forced Navy into 27 turnovers and were credited with 10 steals. On the Mids' side of the ledger, the visitors forced the Hawks into 18 turnovers with four steals.
 
Navy will be back in non-conference action with a home matchup versus William & Mary on Tuesday. Tip-off between the Mids and Tribe is set for 7 p.m.