PRINCETON, NJ – Ray Salnave (Elmont, NY/Benjamin N. Cardozo) hit a game-winning three pointer at the buzzer to send Monmouth University Men's Basketball (5-5) over Princeton University (1-7) 67-66 at Jadwin Gym on Tuesday night. Salnave's buzzer beater was the third game-winner of his career after he tied it with a driving layup with 12 seconds to play.

After Jaelin Llewellyn missed the second free throw of a pair with 19 seconds to go, Salnave corralled the rebound and drove the floor, rolling in a reverse layup with 12 seconds left to tie the game. Out of a timeout, Ryan Schwieger was fouled with 4.2 seconds to go and made it a two-point Princeton lead from the foul line. Salnave took an outlet from Samuel Chaput (Longueuil, Quebec/Saint Anthony's [TX]) and launched the left-wing triple, drilling it to give the Hawks the one-point win.

A pair of George Papas (Jersey City, NJ/Union Catholic) free throws gave MU a 14-point lead with 11:00 to go before the Tigers began to chip away. A 10-0 run, eight of those points coming from the foul line, cut it to three but the Hawks held Princeton off until the 1:24 mark when Ryan Langborg's free throw put Princeton up for the first time in the period. The home team led by one and extended it to two at the 19-second mark, setting up Salnave's late heroics.

The Tigers led 11-3 early, but Deion Hammond (Mitchellville, MD/Riverdale Baptist School) scored eight quick points to put the Hawks up 15-13. MU built up an 11-point lead twice in the opening half, including in the final seconds on a play drawn up for Melik Martin (York, PA/York Catholic) to go to the locker room with a 35-24 advantage.

NOTES AND QUOTES

"I'm super proud of my kids. That was a tough, tough game. I knew that game was going to be tough because I watched them closely. I have all the respect in the world for [Princeton Head Coach] Mitch Henderson. Ray has really taken a giant step, and we all knew he was one of the best players on our team and in our league and this year he's really starting to get himself in great basketball shape. When he's there, this young man can do everything on the basketball court. We're fortunate that he hit a big, big one for us tonight." – Head Coach King Rice

"Sam Chaput and I are really good at communicating on the court, and we were on the free throw line and I looked at him and before I could say anything he told me he had me. I told him to get me the ball and I went up the sideline, I was going to go left but Jaelin [Llewellyn] cut me off so the quick cross and then that shot, once it left I had a feeling it was going in." – Ray Salnave on the game-winning shot

-Ray Salnave made his first career game-winning buzzer beater and third game-winning shot in the closing seconds (2018 at Penn, 2019 vs. Iona).
-The buzzer-beater marks the first time MU has won a game at the final horn since November 29, 2013 when Deon Jones' buzzer-beating layup topped Mississippi Valley State.
-Salnave now has scored to tie or put Monmouth up in the final 15 seconds of regulation or overtime seven times in his career, with six coming on the road (2018 at Hofstra – tie, 2018 at Penn – tie, 2018 at Penn – win, 2019 at Quinnipiac – tie, 2019 vs. Iona – win, 2019 at Princeton – tie, 2019 at Princeton – win).
-Salnave's 21 points is a career high and the seventh 20+ point game of his career.
-Melik Martin scored in double figures for the first time this season and fifth time in his career.
-Deion Hammond scored 14 points, his 49^th career game in double figures, putting him 76 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
-MU is now 6-13 all-time against Princeton, while King Rice is 2-2.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth led for 28:53 of the night.
-MU outshot Princeton 41.5% to 40%.
-The Hawks shot it at a 53.5% clip from downtown, holding Princeton at 16%.
-The Blue and White held Princeton to 1-15 from deep in the first half.
-Richmond Aririguzoh totaled a double-double for the Tigers with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth returns to action on December 21^st with a home game against Albany at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.