Game 16
Monmouth at Rider
Date: Monday, January 12, 2015
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Lawrenceville, N.J. | Alumni Gymnasium
Broadcast: GoBroncs.com | MAAC.tv (Watch)
Audio: Shore Sports Network [WOBM-AM 1160 & 1310]
Talent: Eddy Occhipinti '06 & Steve Bazaz '07
Listen Live
Live Stats: MonmouthHawks.com
Twitter: @MonmouthBBall | #FlyHawks | #MAACHoops
Monmouth-Rider Series History:
• Friday's game marks the 42nd all-time meeting between in-state rivals Monmouth and Rider, which began as a non-conference affair during the 1974-75 campaign, won by the Hawks.
• Rider, which has won nine straight in the series, including all three contests last season, now leads 26-15.
• Monmouth's last win came on November 30, 2006, on the road, 67-66, when Whitney Coleman hit the game-winner with five seconds left.
• Monmouth was 5-7 overall against the Broncs when both schools were members of the Northeast Conference, which overlapped from 1992-93 through 1996-97.
• The two teams were 1-1 vs. each other (with wins coming on its home court) in NEC Tournament play, with MU's win coming 60-59, in the NEC Championship game in Boylan Gym in 1996, the Hawks' first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Blue & White Bits:
• Monmouth, under fourth year head coach King Rice, embarks on its second season in the highly competitive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The Hawks were off to a 4-0 start in league play, their best opening since beginning the 2004-05 league campaign at 7-0, a season Monmouth won the NEC Regular Season Championship.
• Monmouth was selected sixth in this year's Preseason MAAC Coaches Poll, while junior guard Deon Jones was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.
• Senior guard Andrew Nicholas became the 20th player in Monmouth's Divsion I history to score 1,000 career points behind his 24-point performance against Towson (11/23), in which he tied a career-high with six made three-pointers.
• The guard duo of Jones and Andrew Nicholas combined for 939 points last season, which tied for the sixth-highest combined single-season point total in program history.
• In 2014-15, Monmouth returns 88.9% of its scoring (1964/2208) from a season ago, and 82.0% of its minutes played.
• The Hawks return their top six scorers from last year's 11-21 team.
• Monmouth's returning sophomores combined for 77 starts, 833 points (26.0 ppg), 223 assists (6.9 apg) and 402 rebounds (12.6 rpg) as rookies in the Blue & White.
• On Monday, December 8, Justin Robinson was named the MAAC Player of the Week, Monmouth's first MAAC Player of the Week recipient in its program/conference history. Last season, Josh James was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week twice.
Believe. Compete. Succeed.
