FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 21, 2002

NCAA Women’s Basketball
Monmouth 59, Central Connecticut State 40

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - The Monmouth University women's basketball team followed a solid performance from NEC Player of the Week, Michelle Cappadona, en route to a 59-40 victory over Central Connecticut State in Northeast Conference action on Monday night in Detrick Gymnasium.  The 40 points scored by CCSU was the lowest point total allowed by the Hawks this season, and the lowest since January 11, 1997 (39, St. Francis, N.Y.).

Cappadona, who earned her second NEC Player of the Week honor this season, paced the Hawks with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists.  The senior also collected five steals in the game, which set a new career-mark for steals with 257.  The previous career-leader was USA Olympic-athlete Christie Pearce, who totalled 256 steals from 1993-1997.  Cappadona is also on pace to amass 97 steals this year, which would also set a new single-season mark in that category.  The single-season bar was set at 88 by Pearce in the 1995-96 season.  Cappadona, who has 61 to date, will hold at least a share of every Monmouth University steals record if she can accomplish the single-season mark.

Monmouth, which led 22-19 at the half, upped its lead to 13, 34-21, with a 12-2 run that opened the second half, keyed by six of Michele Cappadona's
game-high 22 points.  The Hawks held their largest lead of the game, 22 points, twice in the second half, with a lay up from Courtney Lumpkin off of a feed from
Meredith Thornton pushing  Monmouth up, 58-36 with just under a minute left in the game.

Rashawnah French joined Cappadona in double figures for Monmouth, which improves to 10-7 overall and 5-3 in NEC play, with 10 points.  The Hawks secured their sisxth road win this season with the victory, compared to three road wins all of last season.

Senior Eileen Battagliese (Sewell, NJ) came off of the bench to lead the Blue Devils with 11 points.  Freshman Regina Cunningham (Congers, NY) added
eight rebounds as the home team won the battle on the boards, 48-35.

Monmouth will return to action on Thursday night as it hosts a rematch with Mount St. Mary's in a Northeast Conference contest at 7 p.m.  The Hawks dropped a 68-64 decision to the Mountaineers in early January.