WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Monmouth University men's basketball team held an opponent under 50 points for the second straight home game as the Hawks down Manhattan College Saturday afternoon, 65-49. Ray Salnave (Elmont, NY/Benjamin N. Cardozo) led the way with 17 points to move the Hawks to 3-14, 2-2 in the MAAC while the Jaspers fall to 3-13, 1-3 in the league.

After a slow start to the second half that saw the Jaspers open on an 8-0 run to get within five, George Papas (Jersey City, NJ/Union Catholic) scored eight of MU's next 10 points, including two huge triples to extend the Hawk lead to 11. Salnave scored seven points down the stretch and Melik Martin (York, PA/York Catholic) converted an and-one on the fast break before Mike James (West Hempstead, NY/Malverne) netted a runner for his first career points to cap off the win.

The Hawks leapt out to a 14-3 advantage, with Salnave converting an old-fashioned three-point play and making a three. The Jaspers trimmed it down to six points twice, but MU ended the half with a 10-3 run, including a pair of Martin foul shots in the final second, to take a 13-point edge into the locker room.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"Everyone knows Steve Masiello is one of my best friends in this business… I want to give Steve a lot of credit, his kids played hard today, they came out and their plan was good and it's hard when you're not winning like you want to win. I thought my team in the first half, that might have been our best defense in years because they brought a lot of plays and they're plays that make you have to communicate and make a lot of quick decisions and in the first half I don't think I've seen a better defensive effort from my group so I'm happy about that." – Head Coach King Rice

"I think I chose the right time to go and not to go, and guys like Diago [Quinn] and Mustapha [Traore] were rebounding early and made their presence felt and once we wore them down a little bit we could start running. We had opportunities and we made it happen." – Guard Ray Salnave.

-Monmouth held its second straight home opponent to under 50 points.
-The Hawks shot a season-best 53.5% from the field.
-Eight different Hawks scored in the game.
-Monmouth is now 5-6 against Manhattan in MAAC play.
-The Hawks have now won five of their last six against the Jaspers.
-King Rice collected his 120^th career win.
-Mike James Jr. scored his first collegiate points.
-Ray Salnave's 17 put him in double figures for the 10^th time this season and 22^nd time in his career.
-Mustapha Traore posted his fifth game of the season in doubles and seventh of his career.
-George Papas tied a season-high with eight points.
-Mustapha Traore grabbed at least eight rebounds for the fourth time this season.
-Manhattan's 29.6% field goal percentage was a season low defensively for MU.
-Every Hawk to play finished either a plus or neutral, with nobody finishing as a minus.
-The Hawks led for the final 36:42 of the game.
-MU limited Manhattan to just two two-point field goals in the first half.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-MU outshot Manhattan 53.5% to 29.6%.
-The Hawks topped the Jaspers on the fast break 20-6.
-MU was better than Manhattan off the bench, 21-19.
-Monmouth forced 16 Manhattan turnovers.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth returns to action Monday night at Siena to take on the Saints at 7:00 p.m.