FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Monmouth, which trimmed 20 points off of a 25-point first-half deficit, opened Northeast Conference action with an 81-73 loss at Sacred Heart University on Saturday afternoon.

The Hawks, who trailed 41-16 with 3:56 remaining in the opening half, pulled within 69-64 with 3:35 left in the contest, as senior guard Whitney Coleman paced Monmouth with 26 points, behind a career-high six three-pointers. Coleman, who came within a single point of tying his career-high, went 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, while sophomore Travis Taylor collected his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

After Coleman's three-pointer knotted the contest at 3-3 at 17:57, Sacred Heart notched two straight baskets in the lane to take at 7-3 advantage, before back-to-back Coleman hoops tied the game at 7-7 at 15:34.

Following the game's second tie, the Pioneers went on an 11-0 run over the next two minutes, paced by Corey Hassan's three straight three-pointers in transition, to grab an 18-7 lead.

SHU extended its run to 20-2 on Jerrell Thompson's lay-up with 10:40 left in the half, as the Pioneers pushed the edge to 27-9, and Chauncey Hardey's trifecta made the score 30-10 at 9:46.

Monmouth, which fell behind 41-16 with 3:56 on the clock, went 12:06 in-between field goals before Taylor's offensive rebound and putback with 3:28 remaining, which made the score 41-18.

The Hawks pulled within 42-26 after back-to-back three-pointers from Justin Sofman and Coleman, with 1:50 on the scoreboard, and a pair of Taylor foul shots capped an 8-0 spurt, to make the score 42-28 with 1:13 left.

The Pioneers, who held a 16-point edge at the break, retook a 20-point advantage, 55-35, with 17:10 showing on Hardy's trey.

Trailing 57-39, the Hawks strung together a 10-0 run, paced by Will Campbell's six points, to pull within 57-49, and after three points from Taylor, Monmouth trailed 59-52, with 8:44 remaining.

SHU built the lead back to ten, 64-54, with 7:43 left, but the Hawks answered with a 10-5 spurt over the next 4:08 to pull within 69-64 on a Mike Myers Keitt layup with 3:35 showing.

After Monmouth pulled within five points, consecutive trifectas from Hassan and Ryan Litke inflated the cushion to 75-64 in less than a minute.

Thompson's layup in transition after a missed Monmouth free throw, put the Pioneers ahead 77-65, with 1:25 left, but Coleman answered with his fifth three-pointer of the game, at 1:07, to make the score 77-68. MU climbed within 79-71 with 55.5 ticks on another Coleman trey, and clawed within 80-73 with 20 seconds remaining.

Monmouth (2-6, 0-1 NEC) also received 14 points off the bench from Will Campbell.

SHU (4-3, 1-0 NEC), which outrebounded the Hawks 42-28, had four players in double-figures on the scoreboard, led by Hardy's 19 points and Hassan's 17.

Monmouth returns to action on Wednesday, December 9, when the Hawks face Rutgers in Piscataway, at 7:30 p.m.