Preview: Monmouth Hawks at Towson Tigers

TOWSON, Md. (Interstat) — Two teams riding winning streaks and sporting identical records will meet Friday night when the Monmouth Hawks visit the Towson Tigers in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball matchup at SECU Arena.

Both teams enter the Jan. 16 contest at 10-5 overall. Monmouth has won five of its last six games, while Towson brings a five-game winning streak into the contest.

The Hawks are coming off a narrow 72-67 road loss at Northeastern on Sunday, which snapped a five-game win streak. Guard Maria Amaro has been a catalyst for Monmouth, averaging 6.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists over her last six games. She nearly posted a double-double in the loss to Northeastern, finishing with nine points, five rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes. Divine Dibula and Kathy Kersaint-Pierre each added 10 points in that game.

Towson extended its streak with a 79-68 home victory over UNC Wilmington on Sunday. Forward Kayla Morris has been a defensive anchor for the Tigers, recording multiple blocks in four of her last five games. She contributed 11 points and seven rebounds in the win over UNCW. Guard Tilda Sjökvist led all scorers in that game with 16 points, and Zoli Khalil added 11 points and eight rebounds.

The matchup features a contrast in strengths. Monmouth relies on the playmaking of Amaro to facilitate its offense, while Towson’s interior defense, led by Morris, will look to disrupt the Hawks’ rhythm. Both teams have shown a knack for winning close games, with each securing multiple victories by five points or fewer this season.

This game marks the start of a critical conference stretch for both squads as they seek to position themselves in the league standings.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.