PHILADELPHIA, PA. ? Despite a combined 35 points from freshmen forwards Mike Myers Keitt and Travis Taylor, Monmouth dropped an 83-62 decision at the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday night.

 Myers Keitt notched a season-best 20 points, while Taylor, who has scored in double-figures in each of his first four games, tallied his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Monmouth, which missed its first eight shots in the contest, coupled with four turnovers, fell behind 7-0, before Travis Taylor's dunk off a feed from Dutch Gaitley made the score 7-2, with 13:02 showing.

Taylor's post-up basket pulled MU within 9-4, before consecutive hoops from Tyler Bernadini gave the Quakers a 10-point edge, 14-4, with 10:47 left.

Two more Taylor scores at the rim, and two R.J. Rutledge treys made the score 16-14 with 6:59 remaining in the half, capping a 10-2 spurt for the Hawks.

Monmouth, which held Penn without a field goal for a 6:45 stretch in the opening half, trailed 18-16 with 5:42 left when Mike Myers Keitt drained a pull-up jump shot along the baseline. The Quakers responded with an 8-2 run to close out the half, to hold a 26-18 edge at the intermission, as Bernadini was awarded two foul shots with 1.8 seconds showing.

After three empty possessions to open the half, Penn notched the next two baskets to extend the lead to 30-18 with 18:05 remaining, forcing the Hawks to call a timeout.

Monmouth, which managed just two Myers Keitt free throws and a Yaniv Simpson three-pointer in the first four minutes of the half, fell behind by 17 points, 40-23, with 14:55 left.

Penn pushed its advantage to 53-27 with 12:12 left, when Bernadini finished a three-point play, and held a 62-40 lead at 7:41, as Rutledge's third three-pointer pulled the Hawks within 22 points.

Myers Keitt's second trifecta of the half and lay-ups from Rutledge and Taylor made the score 73-52 with 3:50 remaining.

The Hawks, who committed a season-high 25 turnovers, shot 40.7% from the field, but allowed 57 second half points to the Quakers. Penn had four players in double-figures, led by Bernadini's game-high 22 points.

Rutledge added 13 points and four boards for the Hawks, while sophomore Kevin Schafer recorded his first career points and three rebounds.

Monmouth returns to action on Tuesday, November 25, when the Hawks travel to Villanova, for a Philly Hoop Group Classic contest at 7:30 p.m.