WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Monmouth, which was in a 10-tie, six-lead change Northeast Conference battle with visiting Sacred Heart University, surrendered to a 27-12 run to end the game as the Pioneers escaped with an 80-65 victory on Saturday night.

With the game tied at 53-53 with 8:46 remaining, following back-to-back Ed Waite baskets, Sacred Heart (7-8, 2-2 NEC) put together a 20-1 spurt over the ensuing seven minutes of action to take control of the contest.

Waite led the Hawks with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Marcus Ware added a career-best 10 points and six caroms for Monmouth, which is now 5-11 overall and 1-3 in the NEC.

"We were just not good enough on the defensive end," stated head coach Dave Calloway. "I thought we scored enough points, but we gave up too many. We gave up 51 points in the second half and you aren't going to win many games if you give up that many points."

Two straight baskets from Waite put Monmouth in front 4-3 at the 17:22 mark, while Phil Wait's dunk, followed by a pair of Ware free throws gave the Hawks a 10-5 advantage with 13:29 remaining. The Pioneers responded with an 8-2 spurt, highlighted by two three-pointers, to reclaim a lead, 13-12, with 10:05 on the clock.

After Nick DelTufo's foul shot knotted the game at 13-13, Sacred Heart increased its run to 14-2, capped by Nick Greenbacker's wing jumper, to take a 19-13 advantage. The Hawks responded with consecutive three-pointers from Waite and Mike Myers Keitt to tie the contest at 19-19, while two more Ware foul shots knotted the game at 21-21 with 4:41 left until the break.

Following a Waite hoop, which tied the game at 23-23, Monmouth tied the Pioneers for the fifth time, 27-27 on Ware's jumper in the lane and grabbed a 30-27 edge on Myers Keitt's trifecta.

Sacred Heart, which connected on 52.6% from the floor, including 5-of-7 from the beyond the arc, climbed within 30-29 at the intermission, on Louis Montes' lay-up with 32 seconds left.

Paced by a Steele straight away three-pointer following a Wait offensive rebound, and Wait's on lay-in, Monmouth grabbed a 35-29 edge 1:08 into the second half.

Gibson, who went 3-for-3 from three in the opening half, connected on two straight attempts from deep to pull the Pioneers even at 35-35 with 17:23 left, while a pair of DelTufo free throws gave the Blue and White a 39-37 advantage with 16:09 showing.

After Monmouth corralled a 42-39 lead on three straight R.J. Rutledge points, the Pioneers pulled even at 42-42 on Jerrell Thompson's three-point play, with 14:34 on the clock.

The Hawks answered with consecutive baskets from Wait to haul in a 46-42 advantage, but Sacred Heart answered with an 11-3 spurt over the next two minutes of action, to take a 53-49 edge, with 10:05 left.

Monmouth climbed even once again at 53-53, following back-to-back hoops from Waite, before the Pioneers retaliated with a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to snare a 63-54 advantage.

Myers Keitt's offensive putback halted the spurt, but SHU netted the next 10 points to up the run to 20-1, and take a 73-56 lead with 1:40 showing.

James Hett drilled three straight trifectas on three consecutive trips to pull the Hawks within 76-65 with 54 seconds remaining.

Sacred Heart, which connected on 55.3% overall from the field, including 8-of-12 from three-point range, netted 51 second half points and registered a season-high 80 points against the Hawks. Gibson, who was 5-for-6 from three, scored a game-high 24 points to lead four Pioneers in double-figures.

Monmouth, which had each of its eight players in the scoring column, also got a double-digit effort from Myers Keitt (10), while Hett and Wait added nine and eight points, respectively. 

Monmouth returns to action on Thursday, when the Hawks travel to Saint Francis University for a Northeast Conference contest in DeGol Arena.