WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? Despite a career-high 23 points from freshman Mike Myers Keitt, the Monmouth University men's basketball team fell to future NEC member Bryant University, 83-71, on Thursday night in Boylan Gym.

Myers Keitt, who hit a season-best eight field goals, and went 7-for-8 from the free throw line, led four Hawks in double-figures, while Cecil Gresham's game-high 27 points, led Bryant to its fifth victory over NEC member schools this season.

Monmouth notched the opening four points of the contest, and Mike Myers Keitt's back door layup off a pass from James Hett, gave the Hawks an 8-4 cushion with 16:15 left. The Hawks, who hit eight of their first 10 shot attempts, corralled a 17-13 advantage when Will Campbell drained a wing three-pointer.

Monmouth, which trailed 11-10, strung together a 12-2 run, over a 3:52 span, to take a 22-13 lead on Campbell's corner trey, with 10:30 showing.

Bryant's Adam Parzych pulled the Bulldogs within 24-20, at the 8:00 minute mark, but a third trifecta by Campbell, after Hett's penetration into the lane, put the Hawks in front 27-20 with 7:17 remaining in the half.

After the Hawks grabbed a 29-22 lead on an Alex Nunner baseline jumper, Bryant put together an 8-0 run, capped by Chris Birrell's wing three-pointer with 3:37 showing, to take a 30-29 edge. Nunner's pull-up three-pointer 27 seconds later, put the Hawks back in front 32-30, but the Bulldogs, paced by three three-point trips, took a 41-34 lead into the break when Peter Lambert canned a wing trey with four seconds remaining in the stanza.

Cecil Gresham's baseline jump shot put the Bulldogs ahead 43-34 out of the break, but a pair of Myers Keitt free throws and Travis Taylor's three-point play, made the score 43-39 at 16:50. After the Hawks pulled within four, Bryant scored the next eight points, including two three-pointers from Gresham, to take its biggest lead of the game, 51-39, with 14:56 remaining.

Hett answered with a corner three-pointer, making the score 51-42, and consecutive Myers Keitt baskets pulled the Hawks within 55-46, with 11:35 left in the contest.

Bryant, which led by as many as 15 points in the second half, held a 72-57 advantage with 3:36 left on a Gresham jumper, but three straight baskets from the Hawks, capped by a Myers Keitt offensive tip-in, pulled Monmouth within 72-63 with 2:14 showing. Campbell, who tied a career-high with four three-pointers, drilled a wing trey with 1:37 showing to make the score 74-66.

Bryant (6-17), which hit 52.8% from the field, including 60.0% in the second half alone, notched 29 points above its season average, as four Bulldogs scored in double-figures. Parzych added a career-high 21 points, while BU registered 21 assists on its 28 field goals.

Playing without injured players Yaniv Simpson, R.J. Rutledge and Dutch Gaitley, the Hawks' Taylor (12), Campbell (12) and Nunner (10), rounded out the double-digits scorers. Monmouth, which connected on 62.5% from the field in the first half, hit just 12-of-35 shots in the second stanza, which snapped its four-game home win streak.

Monmouth (6-18 overall, 4-7 NEC) returns to action on Saturday, February 7th, when the Hawks host St. Francis in Northeast Conference action in Boylan Gym. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.