WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - For a second time this season, the Monmouth University men's basketball rallied from a 17-point deficit to claim victory on its home court, as the Hawks defeated visiting Bryant University 66-57, in Northeast Conference action on Monday night.

Paced by freshman guard Jordan Davis' first career double-double of 12 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, the Hawks outscored the Bulldogs 49-29 in the second half to improve to 5-9 overall and 1-1 in league play. Sophomore Ed Waite added 14 points and six rebounds, while Gary Cox (10 points), Phil Wait (nine points, nine rebounds) and Jesse Steele (nine points) highlighted Monmouth's comeback victory.

Trailing by 17 with 3:47 left in the opening half, 11 at the intermission, and 15 at the start of the second half, Monmouth outscored Bryant 21-8 to open the final stanza to take its first lead, 38-36, with 10:25 remaining on Steele's third three-pointer of the game.

"In the first half we had 13 turnovers and they had 16 points off those turnovers, that was the difference," stated head coach Dave Calloway. "I thought we did a better job taking care of the ball in the second half with only five turnovers, and we shot the ball better."

After MU knotted the score at 40-40, the Hawks went on a 14-2 run over the next 4:40 of game action to coral a 54-42 lead on Will Campbell's lay-up with 3:10 showing. Monmouth, which went 12-14 from the free throw line in the final 1:50 of the game, held on for the nine-point victory.

After Alex Francis scored the first six points for the Bulldogs, Bryant connected on consecutive three-pointers to take a 12-3 lead at the 12:22 mark of the opening stanza, before R.J. Rutledge drilled a corner trifecta to pull the Hawks within 12-6 with 11:54 showing.

Vlad Kondratyev's second three-pointer and a Francis alley-oop dunk put BU in front 17-6 with 9:10 left, before Wait's basket stopped the Bulldogs' 13-3 run, allowing Monmouth to climb within 17-8 with 8:33 remaining.

Following a second straight offensive putback for the Hawks, Bryant responded with a 10-0 spurt to snare a 27-10 advantage with 3:47 left until the break.

Monmouth ended Bryant's run on Wait's dunk off a feed from Davis, and Steele's corner three-pointer with 2:35 remaining, made the score 27-15. The Hawks upped their streak to 7-0 on Wait's tip-in, but trailed 28-17 at the half.

The Bulldogs scored five of the first six out of the break to take a 33-18 lead, but a Davis three-pointer and four points from Waite pulled Monmouth within 33-25, with 15:19 remaining. Monmouth upped its run to 9-0 to climb within 33-27, before the two sides traded three-pointers, as Davis drilled a corner trey to make the score 36-30, with 13:24 left.

Cox's baseline jumper after two Monmouth offensive rebounds, coupled with Steele's three-pointer from the corner, pulled the Hawks within 36-35 with 11:36 showing, capping an 18-8 MU run out of the intermission.

Steele's third three-pointer of the game at 10:25 gave Monmouth its first lead of the contest, 38-36.

Bryant ended Monmouth's 21-8 streak with back-to-back hoops to retake a 40-38 advantage, but Waite's post basket knotted the score at 40-40 with 7:50 showing, while a Cox free throw reclaimed a lead for the Blue and White, 41-40, with 7:14 left.

MU upped its lead to 47-40 on a pair of Cox foul shots, and Cox's traditional three-point play with 4:25 left, put the Hawks in front 50-42.  Monmouth, which outscored Bryant 16-2 since falling behind 40-38, grabbed a 54-42 lead with 3:10 left on Campbell's lay-up.

Despite seven points from Frankie Dobbs over the next 53 seconds, Monmouth snagged a 60-49 lead on another pair of Campbell free throws with 1:06 left.

Six MU foul shots put the Blue and White in front 66-54, while Dobbs' three at the buzzer accounted for the final tally.

"This game is just as important as a game in February," added Calloway. "Every game is important. I think we are getting better and the competition we have played in the last few games has helped us."

Davis' double-double was Monmouth's second of the season, while his 12 points and six assists tied career-highs and his 13 rebounds set a new bar for the freshman.

Monmouth, which connected on 26-for-34 from the foul line, also outrebounded Bryant 41-31.

Bryant also had three players in double-digits, led by 15-point outings from Francis and Dobbs.

Monmouth, which rallied from 17-down against Hartford on December 11th, returns to action on Thursday, when the Hawks host Quinnipiac University in Northeast Conference action at 7:00 p.m., in the MAC.