NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME OUT
-Monmouth wins its sixth in a row for the first time since 2015. 
-MU starts 6-1 for the first time since 1990. 
-The Hawks are now 13-5 against Niagara all time. 
-MU opens 1-0 in the MAAC for the second year in a row and fourth time since joining the league. 
-Monmouth has topped Niagara in four of their last six meetings. 
-MU scored under 60 points and won for the first time this season. 
-The Hawks came back from a halftime deficit to win for the third game in a row. 
-Nikkei Rutty led MU with 10 rebounds, his second double-digit rebounding effort of the season. 
-MU limited Niagara to 22 second-half points, the third game in a row MU held an opponent under 25 in the second half. 
-MU outshot NU 40.4% to 29.6%. 
-The teams each had 34 rebounds. 
 

NOTES ON THE ALL TIME SERIES
-Monmouth and Canisius are meeting for the 19th time ever 
-The Hawks and Griffs have only met as MAAC foes, dating back to the 2013-14 season 
-Monmouth is 12-6 all-time against Canisius all time 
-King Rice is 95-60 in MAAC games all time 
-The teams met twice last season, both in West Long Branch with MU winning twice 
-Monmouth has won the last five in the series 
-MU has defeated Canisius twice in MAAC Tournaments, eliminating the Griffs in 2015 and 2019 
-Prior to MU's five-game win streak, Canisius won the previous four 
-George Papas netted 32 points the last time he played at Canisius, making seven threes off the bench and hitting 9-10 from the free throw line 
 

EARLY SEASON MAAC PLAY
The MAAC has reinstituted the early season MAAC games for the first time since the 2016-17 season. This marks the second time of the last three seasons where the early games were played that the Hawks opened in Western New York. 

STARTING LINEUP SWITCH
After starting the same five the first four games, King Rice was forced to switch the starters against Princeton after some players were unavailable or limited. Samuel Chaput made his first start at point guard since January 4, 2021 at Siena, while sophomore big man Myles Foster got his first career start. 

BIG NIGHT FOR CHAPUT
A four-year contributor, Sam Chaput took advantage of his first start of the season to post his first double-figure game in nearly two years against Princeton (first since January 29, 2020 at Saint Peter's). He also led MU with four steals, the most by a Hawk in a game this season. 

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK KEY WINS
MU's win at St. Joe's marked the first ever true road win over an Atlantic 10 opponent in school history. The Hawks topped SJU by 12 for King Rice's third win over an A10 school and the first on the road. Monmouth then beat Princeton at home to knock off a Tigers team that had already stunned high-major schools on the road in Oregon State and South Carolina. The Hawks won their third critical matchup in a row by topping Cincinnati who had already beaten a ranked Illinois team. 

STIFLING SECOND HALF DEFENSE
The second-half lockdown against Princeton was one one of MU's best defensive halves of the King Rice era. The Hawks allowed just 18 points on 24.1% shooting, including just 2-12 (16.7%) from three and surrendered just three foul shots in the period. The Tigers made just one layup in the final 8:48, a basket with 59 seconds left in a game that was already decided. MU then locked up Cincinnati in the second half to just 23 points and 14.3% from deep in the final 20 minutes. The Hawks gave up just 22 points in the second half at Niagara. 

WELCOME WALKER
Graduate center Walker Miller has burst onto the scene after playing four seasons as a walk on at North Carolina. Miller has scored in double figures in every game but one, and is MU's leading rebounder at over eight per game. He posted his best rebounding performance at MU by grabbing 12 at Saint Joseph's. 

LAST TIME OUT
Monmouth beat Niagara behind 14 points from Shavar Reynolds and 10 Nikkei Rutty rebounds to open MAAC play with a win. 

WHAT'S TO COME
The Hawks head to Queens Thursday to take on St. John's at 8:30 p.m.