WORCESTER, MA- Micah Seaborn (Fort Worth, TX/Prime Prep Academy) hit eight three-pointers and Monmouth led by as many as 28 points in beating South Carolina State, 86-62 Saturday afternoon at Holy Cross in the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational. Seaborn led the Hawks with 25 points as MU shot 54.9% from the floor and put three in double figures.
Trailing 6-3, Monmouth went on a 29-11 run to build an 18-point lead in the opening half. Justin Robinson (Lake Katrine, NY/Kingston) scored Monmouth's first nine points en route to another double-digit scoring game, and overall, King Rice put 12 players on the score sheet.
NOTES AND QUOTES
-"We've grown as a team so much," said head coach King Rice. "Justin got us off to a hot start, then Micah went crazy and then Chris too, so our team is definitely maturing and this is the type of grown-up game I was expecting to see from my kids."
-"If we're not scoring the ball, our defense should carry us and not just be solid but intimidating, just because of our numbers and how many kids we have," added Rice.
-"We try to recruit the right young men and these kids are the right kids," said Rice. "I thought Mustapha Traore did some great things today and I like the options that we have. We will continue to get better."
-"We came out a little slower than usual but once I came out and started us scoring, everyone realized that we were ready and we seized the momentum of the game," said Justin Robinson.
-"Micah works way too hard to continue to be in a slump, and once he gets in one he works even harder to get out of it," added Robinson. "I told him to relax, play ball and keep doing what you've been doing and the ball will start going in for you."
-Once the ball comes inside, it makes the defense collapse down on us and that frees open guys on the perimeter and vice versa," said Chris Brady.
-"I was working with Coach Sam [Ferry] and then coming back and shooting at night again, and Coach Rice helped me a lot by telling me how much work I put in. He wants me to keep shooting and today I kept hitting," said Micah Seaborn.
-Micah Seaborn hit eight threes, becoming the second Hawk ever to hit that many in a game and one off the record (Dave Calloway at Pepperdine, 1990).
-Monmouth is now 3-0 when leading at halftime.
-Seaborn's 25 points is the most by an individual this year.
-Seaborn scored 20+ points for the seventh time in his career.
-Robinson found double figures for the 57th time in 63 games.
-Monmouth picked up its first win away from home this season.
-MU won four neutral site games last year, and today's was the first this season.
-MU outscored South Carolina State in points in the paint, points off turnovers, fast break points and bench points.
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-12 Hawks scored, the most to individually find the box score this season.
-The Hawks won their 19th ever game against a MEAC school.
-Robinson's six assists were the most by a Hawk this year.
-Monmouth's 86 points are the most since hitting 90 in the NIT last season against Bucknell, and the most on the road since last February 9 at Marist.
-MU shot a season-best 54.9% from the floor and 52.4% from deep.
-Chris Brady was a perfect 5-for-5 in the game.
UP NEXT
-Monmouth wraps up play in the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational tomorrow against host Holy Cross at 12:00 p.m. on the Patriot League Network.
