MU women vs. Wagner game story for Tuesday Press
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - It's doubtful even MAAC opponents could
find a reason to complain about the size of "crowds" at
Monmouth University women's basketball games.
Another tiny audience, 130 fans, watched women's action at
Boylan Gymnasium Monday night as the Hawks defeated Wagner, 83-
54, in a Northeast
Conference game.
Women's basketball is never a big draw in the NEC as this season's average
home attendance of 353 would attest.
But prior to Monday Monmouth (9-5, 3-1), according to the NEC web site, was averaging
156 fans over its first eight home games, a number that ranks next to last in
the 11 team NEC.
Only St. Francis, N.Y. (130) was drawing less per outing while Quinnpiac
(660) is the only NEC team drawing over 600 per game.
""I'm obviously disappointed,'' said Marilyn McNeil, Monmouth director of
athletics. ""I would love to fill this place up with women's basketball.''
""It's (Christmas) break so there's not a lot of people here,'' said
Lindsey Zegowitz, Monmouth junior center.
Senior Charisse Johnson scored a career high 15 points and Zegowitz nabbed a
career best eight rebounds in the win over the reeling Seahawks (1-13, 0-4)
who dropped their 11th game in a row.
"The fans that we do have, we love
them,'' said Zegowitz . ""They're very supportive and very nice and always come and
cheer for us. We have a lot of die hard fans we see at every game so it's
nice to see faces you know every game in the stands.''
On Dec. 22 a season low 76 fans showed up for
Monmouth's home game vs. American University, ranging up to a season high 417 for a Girl Scouts promotion for Saturday's
game with Mount St. Mary's.
Monmouth ranked as high as No. 2 in attendance in the NEC (519) in 2003-
2004 and since then was fifth (388) in 2004-2005, and fourth (466) last
season.
Each years' Monmouth attendance is boosted by single game crowds of over 2,000 as the
school goes all out for its celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
""I don't know what the answer is,''said McNeil. ""It's not as if we're not
trying. We advertise the same way (as the men's games), we market it the same
way. I don't have an answer. I wish I had.''
McNeil said having doubleheaders with men's games probably would not help
women's attendance. But she said more victories might.
Though the Hawks made it to the NEC final in 2004 and have not had
a losing record since 1998, Monmouth has not won an NEC
championship since the first season of league play in 1987-88.
""I think it would help if we could win a Northeast Conference championship,'' said
McNeil.
""We struggled with the men's audience when we were up and down and now
they know this men's team is worth wataching, that something pretty big could
happen any night.
""These (women's) games don't tend to be really exciting time in and time
out. They had a double overtime (win) on Saturday. But they've got to win,
people will come to watch a winner.''
After Monday night Monmouth was tied for second place with Long
Island (10-5, 3-1) which it lost to last week, while defending champion Sacred
Heart (9-6, 4-0) and Robert Morris (10-4, 4-0) were deadlocked for first.
Monmouth visits Sacred Heart in its next game 2 p.m. Saturday.
""It is (the attendance) discouraging,''said Michele Baxter, Monmouth coach. Her team
imrpoved to 7-2 at home Monday.
""I think we're a fun team to watch,'' she said. I think if people got out here and saw
us play they'd enjoy the game.
""We've really tried to get out in the community, do some community
services, trying to get some people here. So hopefully it'll play off. But
it's tough.
""We have a few very strong boosters who are with us all the time. But I
would like to see more of the community get involved.''
""We have two hard games coming up,'' said Zegowitz of the games at Sacred
Heart and Monday at Quinnipiac (8-5, 2-2). ""Hopefully we can get some wins
in Connecticut.''
Contact Tony Graham at tonygsports@aol.com. Read his blog at www.app.com.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
STAFF WRITER
WEST LONG BRANCH - It's doubtful even MAAC opponents could
find a reason to complain about the size of "crowds" at
Monmouth University women's basketball games.
Another tiny audience, 130 fans, watched women's action at
Boylan Gymnasium Monday night as the Hawks defeated Wagner, 83-
54, in a Northeast
Conference game.
Women's basketball is never a big draw in the NEC as this season's average
home attendance of 353 would attest.
But prior to Monday Monmouth (9-5, 3-1), according to the NEC web site, was averaging
156 fans over its first eight home games, a number that ranks next to last in
the 11 team NEC.
Only St. Francis, N.Y. (130) was drawing less per outing while Quinnpiac
(660) is the only NEC team drawing over 600 per game.
""I'm obviously disappointed,'' said Marilyn McNeil, Monmouth director of
athletics. ""I would love to fill this place up with women's basketball.''
""It's (Christmas) break so there's not a lot of people here,'' said
Lindsey Zegowitz, Monmouth junior center.
Senior Charisse Johnson scored a career high 15 points and Zegowitz nabbed a
career best eight rebounds in the win over the reeling Seahawks (1-13, 0-4)
who dropped their 11th game in a row.
"The fans that we do have, we love
them,'' said Zegowitz . ""They're very supportive and very nice and always come and
cheer for us. We have a lot of die hard fans we see at every game so it's
nice to see faces you know every game in the stands.''
On Dec. 22 a season low 76 fans showed up for
Monmouth's home game vs. American University, ranging up to a season high 417 for a Girl Scouts promotion for Saturday's
game with Mount St. Mary's.
Monmouth ranked as high as No. 2 in attendance in the NEC (519) in 2003-
2004 and since then was fifth (388) in 2004-2005, and fourth (466) last
season.
Each years' Monmouth attendance is boosted by single game crowds of over 2,000 as the
school goes all out for its celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
""I don't know what the answer is,''said McNeil. ""It's not as if we're not
trying. We advertise the same way (as the men's games), we market it the same
way. I don't have an answer. I wish I had.''
McNeil said having doubleheaders with men's games probably would not help
women's attendance. But she said more victories might.
Though the Hawks made it to the NEC final in 2004 and have not had
a losing record since 1998, Monmouth has not won an NEC
championship since the first season of league play in 1987-88.
""I think it would help if we could win a Northeast Conference championship,'' said
McNeil.
""We struggled with the men's audience when we were up and down and now
they know this men's team is worth wataching, that something pretty big could
happen any night.
""These (women's) games don't tend to be really exciting time in and time
out. They had a double overtime (win) on Saturday. But they've got to win,
people will come to watch a winner.''
After Monday night Monmouth was tied for second place with Long
Island (10-5, 3-1) which it lost to last week, while defending champion Sacred
Heart (9-6, 4-0) and Robert Morris (10-4, 4-0) were deadlocked for first.
Monmouth visits Sacred Heart in its next game 2 p.m. Saturday.
""It is (the attendance) discouraging,''said Michele Baxter, Monmouth coach. Her team
imrpoved to 7-2 at home Monday.
""I think we're a fun team to watch,'' she said. I think if people got out here and saw
us play they'd enjoy the game.
""We've really tried to get out in the community, do some community
services, trying to get some people here. So hopefully it'll play off. But
it's tough.
""We have a few very strong boosters who are with us all the time. But I
would like to see more of the community get involved.''
""We have two hard games coming up,'' said Zegowitz of the games at Sacred
Heart and Monday at Quinnipiac (8-5, 2-2). ""Hopefully we can get some wins
in Connecticut.''
Contact Tony Graham at tonygsports@aol.com. Read his blog at www.app.com.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
posted by Tony Graham at 10:12 PM
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