WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Monmouth, which trailed Princeton by as many as 15 points, climbed within 61-60 with just over a minute remaining, before falling to the Tigers, 64-61 on Wednesday night in the MAC. The Hawks, now 3-5 on the season, were paced by the 12-point efforts of guard James Hett and center Phil Wait, as the Monmouth defense held the Ivy League's second-leading offense to just 27 second half points.

Trailing 44-29 with 13:59 remaining, Monmouth outscored Princeton 32-20 over the next 12:45 to climb within a single point on Wait's lay-in off a feed from Mike Myers Keitt, but the Tigers rode an Ian Hummer jumper and a defensive stop to the end, holding on for the three-point decision, Monmouth's seventh game decided by five points or less already this season.

Trailing 64-61 with under five seconds remaining, Hett, who connected on a pair of three-pointers earlier in the half, had his game-tying attempt fall short.

After Monmouth opened with a 3-0 lead, Dan Mavraides notched five straight points to put Princeton ahead 5-3, but the Hawks answered with a Hett jumper and R.J. Rutledge's three-pointer from the corner to take an 8-5 lead with 16:24 left. 33, who scored Princeton's first eight, tied the game at 8-8 with a three-pointer, as the Tigers hit three-straight treys for a 14-8 advantage with 12:15 remaining.

The Hawks stopped the Tigers' run on Wait's dunk, off a feed from Will Campbell, with 11:46 showing, but the Tigers answered with a trio of three-point trips, capped by a pair of Douglas Davis three-pointers, to take a 23-10 lead. Monmouth, behind a layups from Ed Waite and Wait pulled within 23-14,, but Princeton, which had seven straight three-point trips, reclaimed a double-digit edge, 25-14, on Patrick Saunders' jumper in the lane with 6:57 left.

Hett's short bank-shot after a hesitation dribble pulled Monmouth within 30-20 with 3:54 showing, but Kareem Maddox's second traditional three-point play of the half, gave Princeton a 13-point advantage with 3:29 remaining until the break.

Myers Keitt's drive pulled MU within 33-22 with 3:08 showing, but the Tigers rode a 37-24 lead into the intermission, powered by nine three-point possessions in the stanza.

Princeton opened up a 15-point lead at 41-26, but a pair of three-pointers from Hett pulled Monmouth within 44-32 with 13:39 left in the game.

Following a nearly three-minute scoreless stretch by both sides, Monmouth trimmed the lead to 44-36 on Rutledge's three-pointer, and climbed within 46-40 on Jordan Davis' traditional four-point play with 9:17 on the clock.

The Tigers stopped Monmouth's surge on Davis' fifth three-pointer, but Wait recorded a three-point play of his own to make the score 49-43 with 7:02 left, and the Hawks climbed within 49-44 on a Myers Keitt foul shot at the 6:46 mark.

Waite's three-point play allowed the Hawks to trim the deficit to 54-49 with 4:27 showing, but Davis answered with a corner trifecta 12 seconds later.

Hett's two free throws out of a timeout, coupled with Myers Keitt's drive pulled MU within 57-53, and another Waite basket made the tally 59-55 with 2:31 on the clock. Following Maddox's short jumper, Davis drilled a three-pointer to pull the Hawks within three with 1:49 left. After a Princeton turnover, Myers Keitt found Wait for a lay-in, which allowed MU to climb within 61-60 with 1:14 left.

Out of a Princeton timeout, Ian Hummer drained a short jumper for a three-point edge with 54 seconds left, before Davis connected on a free throw with 40 ticks left, making the score 63-61. On the next possession, Hummer was fouled and after missing both free throws, Maddox grabbed the offensive rebound for the Tigers. Princeton ran time off the clock before Mavraides hit one foul shot, giving PU a 64-61 edge.

The Blue and White connected on 44.2% from the field, including 50.0% in the second half, and held a 35-32 edge in rebounds. Myers Keitt and Waite (seven rebounds) added nine points apiece , while Davis chipped in eight points and four assists.

Princeton, now 6-3 on the year, and on a four-game win streak, had five players in double-figures, led by Davis' 18 points on six three-pointers. Maddox added 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, December 11 when the Hawks host the University of Hartford at 4:00 p.m., in the MAC.