Lady Hawks' Season Ends in First Round of WNIT

The Monmouth University women's basketball team's season ended on Thursday night with a 77-53 loss at Syracuse in the first round of the WNIT.

Monmouth (23-10) used seven first half 3-pointers to build a 33-31 at halftime, but Syracuse (23-9) went on a 33-8 run in the second half to claim the victory and advance in the WNIT to face St. Bonaventure.

Junior guard Alexis Canady scored a team-high 13 points for the Hawks, but Syracuse's Kayla Alexander led all scorers and finished with 26 points. Canady was the only Monmouth player to crack double digits on Thursday night, while the Orange had five players who scored 10 or more points.

Although Monmouth's season has come to an end, there is still hope on the horizon, as three of the team's best players are sophomores. Guards Alysha  Womack, Erin Rooney and forward Abby Martin will all be returning next year, along with Canady.

The Hawks finished second in the Northeast Conference Tournament and were one victory away from competing in the NCAA Tournament before falling to St. Francis (PA). The team will look to carry over its stellar play from this year into the 2011-12 season.