Final Stats

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. -- Freshman guard Jackie Benitez posted season-highs of 15 points, five rebounds and four steals in just 17 minutes off the bench as Siena Women's Basketball won its conference opener 69-63 over Monmouth at the Multipurpose Activity Center. Sophomore guard Kollyns Scarbrough scored in double figures for the seventh straight game to start the season, pacing the Saints with 16 points.

Siena (2-5, 1-0) led for the final 31 minutes and by as many as 12 points, keeping Monmouth (1-4, 0-1) at arm's length for most of the night. Redshirt sophomore guard Denisha Petty-Evans added 10 points for the Saints which opened their 27th season of MAAC competition victorious.

Although the Hawks kept within shouting distance throughout, Benitez canned a three to give the Saints the lead for good with 93 seconds left in the opening quarter. Consecutive threes by Petty-Evans capped the 13-2 run as Siena claimed a nine-point advantage. The Saints led 30-22 at the break.

Monmouth rallied within a point midway through the third quarter and trailed by just four with 7:19 to play, but the Saints would not relinquish the lead. Siena answered with a 10-2 run to open its biggest lead of the night with 3:14 remaining en route to snapping a three-game losing streak in MAAC openers, while also halting a four-game skid in conference road lid-lifters.

Siena's defense was the clear defense in a relatively close contest. Monmouth entered play ranking 21st nationally averaging 8.5 three-pointers per game, but the Saints were excellent in closing out on the shooters in limiting the Hawks to just 5-29 (17.4%) from distance. Overall, Siena forced Monmouth to shoot just 30.9% from the field in holding the MAAC's top scoring offense to seven points below their average.

Most notably, the Saints shut down the Hawks' top perimeter threat Sarah Olson. The Preseason Third Team All-MAAC selection who averaged 24.5 points, shooting 60% from the field and 61.9% (13-21) from three in the two meetings last year against the Saints, managed just five points on 1-8 shooting (0-5 from three).

Each team turned it over 23 times against the other's full court pressure defense, but it was Siena that was able to take advantage. The Saints held a decided 27-9 edge in points off turnovers.

Christina Mitchell fueled Monmouth, posting a double-double with 13 points, a career-high 21 rebounds and four blocks. Jamiyah Bethune added 16 points and Tyese Purvis contributed 14 points off the bench. Purvis accounted for four of the Hawks' five threes, as the rest of the team combined to miss 18 of 19 from distance.

After playing five straight away from home, the Saints finally return to the Capital Region Sunday when they host Saint Peter's for the MAAC home opener at 2 p.m. at the ARC.