Monmouth Hawks (18-12, 12-7 MAAC) vs. Siena Saints (18-10, 14-7 MAAC)
Friday, March 6, 2020 - 7:00 p.m. EST
OceanFirst Bank Center, West Long Branch, NJ

TV
ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Eddy Occhipinti
Analyst: Dave Calloway

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
Four Saints are scoring in double figures, led by Jalen Pickett at 15.3 points per contest. Manny Camper is one of two players in the MAAC to average a double-double, while the Saints come in winners of eight in a row. 

SIENA HEAD COACH CARMEN MACIARIELLO
Carmen Maciariello is in his first season with the Saints after taking over last spring, and has posted an 18-10 mark to this point. Maciariello is a former Siena assistant. 

MONMOUTH AT HOME
The Hawks are 11-1 at home this season, and are in the midst of closing the season with three in a row at home.

SIENA ON THE ROAD
Siena is 4-10 away from Albany this season, with wins in their last three road contests. 

SERIES NOTES
-The teams met for the first time in 1979.
-Monmouth has lost just twice to Siena in the last 12 meetings.
-MU had not lost to Siena in the regular season since 2014 prior to this season's meeting.
-Siena has never won in West Long Branch as a member of the MAAC.

SALNAVE GOES CRAZY
Ray Salnave exploded for 34 points against Fairfield, the most by a Hawk this season and a career high. He also set career marks for made field goals with 12 and made threes with five. He is the 51st player in MU history to score 30, and the sixth in the King Rice era. The 12 made field goals is the most by a Hawk since Justin Robinson had 14 in a 40-point night at Siena on 2/13/17.

THREE HITTING 30
When Ray Salnave hit the 30-point mark against Fairfield, he became the third Hawk this season to reach the mark, joining Deion Hammond and George Papas. MU is one of 17 teams nationally and the only MAAC school to have three different players reach 30+ this year.

NOT TRAILING
Monmouth has not trailed in either of its last two games, leading throughout in wins over Manhattan and Fairfield. The Hawks have led for 78:48 of the 80 total minutes, with the other 1:12 of game time coming when the games were scoreless.

DENY, DENY, DENY
The Hawks limited Fairfield to just three assists in the win on 3/4. That is tied for the least amount of assists allowed in the King Rice era, matching a 2/26/15 meeting with Rider in which the Broncs totaled just three helpers.

LOCKING IT DOWN
The Hawks held Fairfield to just 10 field goals made, the least by an MU opponent since the famed Princeton contest of 12/14/05 when MU limited the Tigers to nine makes. The Hawks held the Stags to 22.2% from the field, the best Monmouth field goal percentage defense since 1/28/16 at Quinnipiac when the Bobcats shot 21.7%.

SECURED THE BYE
Monmouth locked up a first-round bye in the upcoming MAAC Tournament with their win over Manhattan on Sunday. It marks the fourth time in six years that MU has secured an automatic trip to the conference's quarterfinals.

HAWK SCENARIOS
Monmouth can finish third or fourth in the MAAC this season. A win tonight ensures MU will finish third, while a loss locks the Hawks into the #4 seed.. Both the #3 and #4 seeds open the MAAC Tournament on Thursday, March 12 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.