THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Hartford 75, Monmouth 72
RECORDS: Hartford (4-2); Monmouth (1-3)
LOCATION: Stabler Arena (Bethlehem, Pa.)

THE LEAD:
 
Sophomore Lindsey Abed poured in a career-high 25 points on Saturday as the University of Hartford women's basketball team held off a late charge to defeat Monmouth, 75-72, in the opening game of the Christmas City Classic. Abed was joined in double figures by three other Hawks as freshman Sierra DaCosta scored 14 points while Deanna Mayza and Janelle Harrison added 13 apiece.

Alexa Middleton had 14 points in the losing effort for Monmouth, which brought a 69-61 Hartford lead down to one with 34 seconds left. The Hawks closed out the game from the charity stripe, with Abed pushing a 73-72 Hartford lead to three with a pair of makes from the free-throw line in the final 20 seconds.

FIRST HALF:
The three-point line was a key factor for both teams in the opening quarter, as Hartford and Monmouth combined to knock down seven. A pair of early triples put Monmouth in front by an 8-2 count three minutes in. But back-to-back jumpers by Mayza 28 seconds apart pulled the Hawks within two points (10-8) midway through the stanza. The two brands of Hawks traded six buckets, including four three-pointers, to an 18-16 Monmouth lead before Abed countered a 4-0 spurt with another make from long range to cut Hartford's deficit down to three (22-19) heading into the second quarter.
 
Monmouth began the second quarter on a tear, drilling each of its first five shots from the field to take a double-digit advantage at 32-22. But the Hawks answered with a run of their own, knotting up the score at 34-all with just over a minute left in the half by scoring 12 of the game's next 14 points. Following a Christina Mitchell layup that put Monmouth back in front by a bucket, Hartford came milliseconds short of taking a lead into the halftime break, as a buzzer-beating three by Mazya was called off after official review.
 
SECOND HALF:
Monmouth missed two of its first eight shots to start the second half, including its first five attempts, and the Hawk capitalized. A 12-5 Hartford run erased its halftime deficit and gave the team a five-point lead at 46-41 with 4:11 remaining in the quarter. The three-point line brought Monmouth back in the game, though, as a 7-0 spurt, including back-to-back threes from Kayla Shaw, erased Hartford's lead and made it a 48-46 game with 2:42 remaining in the third. The Hawks responded again, taking a 55-51 lead at the end of the stanza with a 9-3 spurt fueled by five points by Abed.
 
Hartford pushed its lead to nine, its largest of the game, midway through the fourth quarter. Abed provided that 65-56 margin at the 4:53 mark on a pair of free throws. The Hawks maintained their edge and with 3:22 remaining, they led, 69-61, before Monmouth started to rally. A pair of free throws followed by a layup and a three-pointer from Alaina Jarnot closed Hartford's lead to one (69-68) with 2:40 to go.

Down the stretch, DaCosta gave Hartford some breathing room with a layup, but Monmouth cashed in on a combined 2-for-4 effort from the free-throw line by the Hawks and again closed the gap to one at 73-72 on a layup with 34 ticks left on the clock. With 20.8 seconds remaining, Abed extended the margin to 75-72, making her eighth free throw in as many attempts, and McKinzee Barker misfired on Monmouth's final shot – a three-pointer – to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Abed had a stellar performance from the floor, going 7-for-13 overall, including a 3-for-4 clip from downtown. She added an 8-for-8 effort from the free-throw line to go along with nine rebounds, a career-best.
• Defensively, Hartford forced Monmouth into 27 turnovers, a season-high. The Hawks scored 17 points off of those miscues.
• Led by three steals from both Harrison and Abed, Hartford 13 steals in the win, marking the Hawks' sixth-straight game with double-digit thefts.
• Hartford cashed in on 22 points from the free-throw line, a season-high, but the squad shot just 64.7 percent from the stripe.
• Monmouth outrebounded the Hawks, 50-36, with Christina Mitchell pulling down 12, a game-best.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Mayza, who recorded her sixth-straight game in double figures, moved in Hartford's record books with 354 on her career.
• Winners of three of their last four, the Hawks remain perfect on the road with a 3-0 mark, previously defeating Central Connecticut and Siena.
• Saturday marked the first-ever meeting between Hartford and Monmouth.

 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks conclude the Christmas City Classic on Sunday, Nov. 27, facing the winner of Lehigh/Norfolk State at 4 p.m.