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All-Time Series: Series tied 13-13

Last Meeting: QU, 64-59 (2/24/11)

Series Note:
The Bobcats have won four in a row in the series, including an NEC quarterfinal victory in 2011. Monmouth's last win came in the opening of 2011 as the Hawks defeated QU 72-60 in the MAC on Jan. 2.

Monmouth head coach King Rice made his collegiate debut as a head coach when the Hawks faced Villanova on November 11, and returns to the sidelines on Saturday night when the Hawks host Quinnipiac University, in the lone meeting between the two schools this year. Rice, the fifth head coach in Monmouth history, spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach to Kevin Stallings at Vanderbilt.

The Hawks and Bobcats are tied for sixth place in the latest Northeast Conference standings.

With its victory over Bryant, Monmouth University earned its 250th all-time Northeast Conference win, joining three other current league institutions to do so (FDU, RMU and LIU).

Of its first 24 games, Monmouth has played seven in the friendly confines of the MAC, going 4-4, following its comeback victory over Sacred Heart on Thursday night.

Monmouth recently played No. 25 Harvard within nine points, giving the Hawks three nationally-ranked opponents this year (Vanderbilt, UNC).

Rice picked up his first career victory as a head coach, as the Hawks defeated Navy 69-67, in Annapolis, Md., and the Hawks won their second straight, leading wire-to-wire versus Fordham on December 10 in the home opener. With the Hawks' NEC home victory over Mount on Thursday, Monmouth has now won three straight NEC home openers.

Three members of Monmouth's current squad have been named to the Northeast Conference All-Rookie Team, upping Monmouth's program total to 16 players who have earned that distinction from the league. The three members include senior Will Campbell, junior Ed Waite and sophomore Marcus Ware.

Monmouth dressed five players at Villanova in the season opener that had collegiate playing experience in seniors Will Campbell, Mike Myers Keitt and Phill Wait, and juniors Jesse Steele and Ed Waite. With the knee injury to Marcus Ware, the Blue and White will dress seven players this year that had never played in a college game to open the season.

Monmouth, now 16-11 all-time in league openers since 1985-86, dropped its sixth straight NEC opener at Saint Francis on December 1. The Hawks are now 6-6 when they open on the road in league play.

Monmouth went 2-11 in straight road games in 2010-11, and after going 2-0 on a neutral court, ended the year 4-11 overall away from home. Monmouth opened this year with eight straight road losses, and is now 3-13 away from home, after back-to-back wins last weekend.

MU led the nation last season in games decided by five points or less with 18 such contests, posting a 5-13 mark in those games. The Hawks are 2-0 in that situation so far this year after defeating CCSU by two in overtime, and Navy by a pair earlier in the year.