LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - Monmouth University Men's Basketball (16-12, 10-7 MAAC) got 28 points from Deion Hammond (Mitchellville, MD/Riverdale Baptist School) but fell at Rider University (16-12, 10-8 MAAC) Friday night in Lawrenceville, 79-67.

MU scored the first three out of the locker room to cut it to eight, but the Broncs kept MU at an arms length until Hammond netted a triple at 12:13 to trim it to 54-45. However, Rider kept the Hawks at a 12-15-point margin the rest of the way to pick up the home victory.

Monmouth took an early five-point lead after Sam Chaput (Longueuil, Quebec/Saint Anthony's [TX]) knocked in a wing three. MU continued to lead until 11:31, regaining the edge back quickly on a Sam Ibiezugbe (Simsbury, CT/The Masters School) three-point play ahead of Gob Gabriel (Manchester, NH/Bradford Christian Academy) knocking home a three to put MU up 20-14. Rider used a late 16-0 stretch to take a 14-point lead, with six of those points coming from the foul line.

NOTES AND QUOTES

"Tough night for us. The environment was crazy and we didn't respond. When Rider gets a lead, that's when they're really good and the first 10 minutes was a good game. After that they got a lead and got comfortable and they have good players." – Head Coach King Rice

-Deion Hammond's 28 points are the second most in a game in his career.
-It is Hammond's 13^th career 20+ point game and ninth this season.
-Ray Salnave netted double figures for the 23^rd time this season.
-Monmouth and Rider split the season series, with each team winning at home.
-All 11 Hawks to play in the game scored.
-Gob Gabriel knocked in a three in a second straight game, his first two collegiate triples.
-Tonight's game marked the Hawks' final scheduled road contest of the 2019-20 season.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-MU shot 36.5% on the night.
-Monmouth forced 17 Rider turnovers.
-MU was better off turnovers, 14-10.
-Tyere Marshall and Dimencio Vaughn both totaled double-doubles for the Broncs.
-Rider shot 17 first-half free throws to Monmouth's five.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth hosts Manhattan on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN3 to kick off a regular season-closing three-game homestand.