RIVERDALE, NY – Deion Hammond's (Mitchellville, MD/Riverdale Baptist School) three with 4:09 to play put Monmouth University Men's Basketball (10-7, 4-2 MAAC) ahead to stay as the Hawks knocked off Manhattan College (8-7, 4-2 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium, 65-58 Saturday.

Monmouth led by as many as 12 after Ray Salnave (Elmont, NY/Benjamin N. Cardozo) hit two threes on three possessions with just over 12 minutes to play, but Manhattan came storming back and ultimately tied the game at the foul line with 5:05 left. Elijah Buchanan made it a one-point Jaspers lead on a three with 4:25 to go, but Hammond immediately answered with three to put the Blue and White up 58-56. Salnave drilled an insurance three to put the Hawks up five with 2:44 remaining, and following consecutive stops, MU locked down the road win.

A back and forth first half saw Manhattan lead by as many as eight after a Warren Williams dunk at 8:29. Marcus McClary (Linden, NJ/The Patrick School) started Monmouth's run back, and his 10^th point tied the game at 5:41. In the latter stages, MU took a six-point lead of its own, eventually leading by three headed to the locker room.

NOTES AND QUOTES
"First, I have to give credit to Steve Masiello. He's the hardest coach to prepare for, we're very good friends and it's never a fun game. It's fun because we get to see each other but I have all the respect in the world for his program and what he's done. Tonight, we had a game plan and we stayed with it. Sometimes what happens when you play Manhattan, I get going because its such an up and down game and I don't help my kids enough so I've been trying to teach them to just play basketball. We're a good basketball team, you guys have to go play and I can't call the whole game for you, you just have to play and we did that on both ends tonight." – Head Coach King Rice

"This win means a lot. Guys can hit big shots on any night and it just happened to be me tonight and it was just a really good win for us." – Guard Deion Hammond

"I think it started off with Marcus doing a good job and holding it down for us at the beginning. Everyone knows how it can get in this gym especially paying against Manhattan and I just waited until it was my time. I wasn't hunting shots throughout the game, I was trying to make the right play and get other guys involved and when it opened up to me I took advantage." – Guard Ray Salnave

-Monmouth has won seven of its last eight against Manhattan, and three of the last four at Draddy.
-The Hawks are the first team in the MAAC to reach 10 overall wins this season.
-MU is tied atop the MAAC at 4-2 alongside Manhattan and Quinnipiac.
-The Hawks and Jaspers have now met 13 times since the Hawks joined the MAAC in 2013. MU leads the series 7-6, and the teams are separated by one point in favor of MU.
-MU is now 12-7 in their careers when Hammond and Salnave combine for 30+ points.
-Marcus McClary scored in double figures for the second game in a row for the second time in his career.
-George Papas tied a career high in rebounds with six.
-Monmouth won despite having zero players register an offensive rebound.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth outshot Manhattan 46.3% to 35.1%.
-The Hawks outrebounded the Jaspers 40-34.
-MU was better in the paint, 28-20.
-Monmouth led for 23:04 of the game.
-The Jaspers were led by 16 points from Elijah Buchanan.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth is back in action on Friday night at home at 7:00 p.m. against Niagara on ESPN+.