Stony Brook, Monmouth, Charleston Earn First-Round Postseason Victories
Hunter Peters
RICHMOND, Va. (March 21, 2024) – CAA Women’s Basketball opened postseason play 3-0 on Thursday, with Stony Brook defeating James Madison in the first round of the WBIT, while Monmouth and Charleston earned first-round victories over Buffalo and USC Upstate in the WNIT.
Stony Brook 81, James Madison 70 | Box Score
The Gonzalez duo of Gigi and Zaida combined for 46 points, while Shamarla King added 17 points off the bench, leading Stony Brook (28-4) to an 81-70 victory over James Madison (23-12) in the first round of the WBIT on Thursday night at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Va.
It marks the first postseason win in program history for the Seawolves, who matched a program record with their 28th win this season. Stony Brook advances to face Illinois in the second round on Sunday, March 24.
Gigi Gonzalez tallied a game-high 26 points, and Zaida Gonzalez added 20 points to pace the Seawolves offensively. In addition, King nearly recorded a double-double, contributing 17 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. JMU was paced by Peyton McDaniel – the 2021 CAA Rookie of the Year – with 24 points.
The Gonzalez duo and King combined for all 22 of Stony Brook’s fourth-quarter points as the Seawolves outpaced the Dukes 22-11 over the final 10 minutes. The game was tied 60 all, entering the fourth, but the Seawolves shot 50.0 percent (7-14) from the floor and limited JMU to 25.0 percent (4-16) shooting in the final frame to emerge victoriously.
Monmouth 68, Buffalo 58 | Box Score
Monmouth (22-9) used a big second-quarter effort to defeat Buffalo (19-14), 68-58, in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday night at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Hawks earned their first postseason victory since 1983 – when they won in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament – and advance to face Duquesne in the second round of the WNIT at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 25.
Taisha Exanor scored a career-high 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting to pace Monmouth, and Jania Hall added 15 points off the bench. In addition, Belle Kranbuhl tallied her first double-double this winter with a season-high 12 points and 12 rebounds. Buffalo got a game-high 26 points from redshirt senior guard Chellia Watson in the effort.
It was a slow start for the Hawks, who shot just 17.7 percent (3-17) in the first quarter and found themselves in a 14-7 deficit after one. However, Monmouth flipped the script in the second, outscoring Buffalo 26-7 to mount a double-digit halftime lead. Trailing 19-15, the Hawks rallied off an 18-2 run over the final 6:25 in the first half to seize momentum and led the rest of the way.
Charleston 78, USC Upstate 60 | Box Score
Jada Logan scored a career-high 34 points to lead Charleston (22-9) over her former team, USC Upstate (16-16), 78-60, in the first round of the WNIT on Thursday night at G.B. Hodge Center in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Cougars (22-9) collect their first-ever win in the WNIT and first postseason victory since 2014, advancing to the second round, where they will face Illinois State at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 24.
Logan shot 13-of-24 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from three, while grabbing 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double this season. She was joined in double figures by Taryn Barbot (16), Alexis Andrews (12) and Jenna Annecchiarico (10) as the Charleston staters accounted for 74 points Thursday evening. Dakota Reeves paced USC Upstate with 15 points, knocking down five three-pointers in the effort.
Charleston trailed 15-14 after one but shot 64.3 percent (9-14) in the second quarter to kickstart the top-scoring offense in the league. The Cougars outscored Upstate 23-17 in the frame to take a five-point lead into halftime. Charleston carried the momentum into the second half, outscoring the Spartans 18-10 in the third before closing the game with a 23-point fourth quarter.
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