TEANECK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson women continued their winning ways by posting a resounding 78-61 victory over Monmouth in a non-conference meeting at the Rothman Center on Wednesday. FDU, winners of three of the last four, improved to 6-2. Monmouth, now in a three-game slide and on the short end in seven of their last eight, fell to 2-7.
Three observations:
1. FDU displayed offensive versatility. The inside game was anchored by Lauren Francillon (13 points, eight rebounds) and Amina Markovic (nine points, six boards) wile Natalie Zamora (team-high 15 points) and Madelynn Comly (14 points) complemented on the perimeter. “I thought Lauren and Amina did a great job,” FDU coach Pete Cinella said. “They played well inside and out and took it to the basket. I thought Natalie had her best (first) half of the season. She’s playing with great confidence.”
2. Turnovers were a big difference. Monmouth coughed the ball up 25 times. In tempo free numbers that is a 33 percent turnover rate or a TO once in every three possessions. “We had eleven steals,” Cinella said. “We manufactured points (25) on a lot of those steals.” The Knights showed some 1-2-2 full court pressure. That was not the major factor in disrupting the Monmouth offense. Good, solid half court defense with guard oriented pressure was the key for FDU.
3. Monmouth hit the boards but struggled everywhere else. Coach Jenny Palmateer’s Hawks outrebounded FDU 43-32, with a 20-10 advantage in offensive rebounding. “That is something we need to improve,” Cinella admitted of the rebounding. The Hawks were ice cold from beyond the arc going 3 of 26 for 12 percent. Overall they shot 38 percent on 26 of 68 from the floor. Outside of the rebounding it was a long night for the visitors from the MAAC.
The win was Cinella’s 400th in a career spanning twenty five years. The FDU mentor previously coached at American International College before heading to the Northeast Conference program 11 years ago. To little surprise Cinella was humble crediting his “assistants and players through the years. They are the ones making 400 wins possible.”
Monmouth was paced by Rhai Spooner-Knight with a game high 18 points. “She can score against any defense,” Cinella said of the Hawks’ 5-10 guard. “She is an excellent player and a matchup problem for any defense.”
