NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – After the team struggled to get its offense going in the first half, Victoria Rampado claimed sole ownership of the second to propel Niagara to a 48-45 win over the Monmouth Hawks on Sunday afternoon in the Gallagher Center.
 
The freshman scored 21 of her game- and career-high 23 points in the second half.  She was the largest contributor (14 points) to the 19-8 run that began with a Rampado jumper at 8:33 and ended with a Rampado jumper at 2:41 and the game tied at 44-44. 
 
"I looked at Corinne [Jones] at one point in time and said, 'this is the player that we recruited,'" head coach Kendra Faustin said.  "She has been working, and working, and working, and staying true to the process with the ups and downs – and she figured it out tonight.  She put us on her back and got us the W."

Rampado finished the game 9-for-13 from the floor, 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, and collected five rebounds.
 
From there, the Purple Eagles held Monmouth (5-15; 3-5 MAAC) to just a single free throw in the final two minutes on their way to the 48-45 win. 
 
Defense was never an issue for the Purple Eagles.  They held the Hawks to 28.3 percent (17-for-60) from the floor and kept the visitors to just two points through the first seven minutes of the second half.  NU, led by Gabby Baldasare's game- and career-high 13 rebounds, won the rebounding battle handily, 49-35.
 
"I thought in the defensive end we were really solid rebounding," said Faustin.  "We've been talking a lot about that and we did a great job on the boards.  Gabby, [Victoria], and Meghan McGuinness came up with some big rebounds.  Meg didn't have a great game shooting but she did all the other things; she had two big rebounds and got herself to the free-throw line and really contributed."
 
Niagara  trailed 22-12 at the half after not being able to get their offense in motion, shooting 4-for-22 from the floor, but staying in the game because of its defensive effort, keeping Monmouth to 1-for-12 from three-point range. 
 
"It was one of those nights where I walked down to the end of the bench and I said to Fr. Hubbard, 'Father, say some prayers because tonight is going to be a grind-out kind of win.'  It certainly proved to be that."
 
NU began the second on an 11-4 run to get back within a possession.  Rallying around Rampado, the Purple Eagles would eventually take their first lead of the game with just 4:06 left in regulation before they had to take it back again with 1:25 remaining.
 
The Purple Eagles are back on the court next Thursday when they travel to Manhattan for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.