2021-22 Monmouth Basketball Game Fourteen Preview                                                                                       

Monmouth Hawks (10-3, 2-0 MAAC) at Saint Peter's Peacocks (3-6, 1-1 MAAC)
Friday, January 14, 2022 - 7:00 p.m.
Run Baby Run Arena, Jersey City, NJ

TV
ESPN3
Play-by-Play: Ira Thor
Analyst: Darryl Jacobs

RADIO
Monmouth Digital Network
Play-by-Play: Eddy Occhipinti
Analyst: Greg Mescall

SAINT PETER'S COVID-19 POLICIES
Fans/guests will be permitted to attend indoor athletics events at the Yanitelli Center. All guests ages 12 and older must provide proof of a completed series of World Health Organization (WHO)-approved COVID-19 vaccination. PLEASE NOTE: Full vaccination is achieved two weeks following a person's second dose of a two-dose vaccine series such as Pfizer and Moderna, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine such as Johnson & Johnson. Masks are required at all events inside the Yanitelli Center regardless of vaccination status. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination may be demonstrated by displaying a photo or hard copy of a CDC vaccination card, NJ DOCKET app, New York State Excelsior App, or an official vaccination record. We ask that you have such proof readily available prior to arriving at the venue. Anyone 18 years or older must also present an appropriate ID with proof of vaccination, which must contain the name of the individual, and a photo of the individual or the individual's date of birth. Examples of acceptable forms of identification include but are not limited to: a driver's license, non-driver government ID card, passport and/or school or work-issued ID card. Please note that some events may require that all guests be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition to this, government mandates, venue protocols, and event requirements are subject to change. Therefore, we encourage guests to check back prior to event day. 

QUICK BULLETS
-Monmouth has won three of its last four entering this contest
-MU is playing for the first time in 23 days dating back to December 22
-The 10-3 start is the best in the program's Division I history
-All four of Monmouth's fifth-year seniors are averaging in double figures
-George Papas has earned two MAAC Player of the Week honors this season while Shavar Reynolds has one as well
-Monmouth is ranked #13 in this week's CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25
-George Papas was named this week to the Lou Henson Award Watch List
-MU's eight non-league wins are tied for the most ever in school history
-The Hawks are one of two schools still unbeaten in MAAC play (Iona)

A MONMOUTH WIN WOULD...
-mark Monmouth's 11th win of the season
-extend Monmouth's nation-leading road wins number to eight
-extend the best start in school history at 11-3
-be the Hawks fourth win in the last five games
-start the Hawks 3-0 in MAAC play for the first time ever
-be MU's first win at Saint Peter's since February 7, 2019
-make Monmouth the second MAAC team to 11 victories
-be MU's 97th ever win in the MAAC
-keep the Hawks unbeaten in MAAC play
-mark Monmouth's fourth win in Jersey City since joining the league

NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME OUT
-Monmouth concludes non-conference play 8-3, tying the program mark for wins in a non-league schedule (1990-91, 1991-92, 2015-16).
-MU had a three-game winning streak snapped as well as a nine-game home win streak.
-This marked MU's first home loss in over a calendar year (December 20, 2020).
-MU and Hofstra's all-time series is now tied at six, with the teams separated by five total points in 12 all-time meetings.
-Walker Miller scored a career-best 26 points.
-Marcus McClary posted his fourth career double-double and first this season.
-Jarvis Vaughan made his season debut off the bench, grabbing two rebounds in seven minutes.
-MU was just edged out by Hofstra, 41.7 to 41.2% in field goal shooting.
-Each team made 16 foul shots.
-MU was outrebounded for just the third time this season, and by only one rebound.
-Monmouth was better off the bench 11-10.

MORE INFO ON THE ALL-TIME SERIES
-Saint Peter's leads the all-time series, 28-16
-In matchups at Division I opponents, SPU leads 22-14
-Since MU joined the MAAC in 2013, Monmouth is 8-9 against the Peacocks
-The teams split a pair of games last season, with each team winning by a 78-76 score in West Long Branch
-The teams first met in the season opener of the 1963-64 season, a Peacocks win
-This will mark MU's first game at the renamed "Run Baby Run Arena"
-Three of the 17 games as league foes have gone to overtime
-Current SPU head coach Shaheen Holloway was an assistant coach for current Hawk Shavar Reynolds when Reynolds joined the Seton Hall program
-The teams are separated by two total points as league opponents, spanning 17 meetings dating back to the 2013-14 season

PAPAS EARNS SPOT ON PRESTIGIOUS LIST
George Papas was named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List, awarded to the National Mid-Major Player of the Year. Papas is the second ever Hawk to earn a spot on the list, joining program all-time leading scorer Justin Robinson, who won the award in 2017. Papas is one of two MAAC players on the list (Nelly Junior Joseph - Iona) and one of just two players from the state of New Jersey (Jaelin Llewellyn - Princeton).

ROAD WARRIORS
Monmouth leads the nation in road victories with seven despite not playing for over three weeks. There are only three teams with as many as six (Chattanooga, Navy, Eastern Washington). MU has won seven of its nine road contests this season. The 2015-16 Hawks led the nation in road and road/neutral wins, finishing with 13 true road wins and 17 away from home.

LONG LAYOFF
Monmouth is playing in its first game in 23 days, dating back to December 22 against Hofstra. This is the longest time between games in one season in the program's Division I history.
BEST START IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Monmouth's 10-3 start is the best in the program's Division I history dating back to the 1983-94 season. MU had previously started 9-2 in 1990-91, and went to 10-2 for the first time as a DI program before falling to Hofstra

TYING A RECORD IN WINS
The Hawks tied the program record with eight non-conference wins, set three times (2015-16, 1991-92, 1990-91). The 2015-16 group did beat nine non-league opponents, with the ninth coming in the postseason NIT over Bucknell.

MID-MAJOR TOP 25
Monmouth continued its rise up College Insider's Mid-Major Top 25, finding their way into the top-10 prior to the Hofstra game at #10. Monmouth currently sits 13th in the ranking. MU broke into the rankings at #21 in late November and moved to #17 before going up to as high at 10. MU spent the entirety of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons in the poll prior to re-entering this season, and during 2016, reached the #1 spot.

PAPAS REACHES 30
With his 30-point outing against Colgate, George Papas became the fifth player in Monmouth history to record four or more games of 30+ points, joining MU legends Rahsaan Johnson (6), Alex Blackwell (9), Rich Pass (5) and Corey Albano (5). Papas has reached 30 twice this season, both at home, in addition to 32 vs. Hofstra last season and another 32 at Canisius in 2020. Papas has the most 30+ point games under King Rice, passing Justin Robinson, who had three. 

FREE THROW SHOOTING
MU currently ranks fifth nationally in free throw shooting, and led the nation in the category through seven games. MU is at 80.6% from the stripe, and have been over 80% in a single game seven times and over 90% on three separate occasions. Papas, Reynolds and Miller are all at 87% from the foul line this season. 

HELPING OUT
Monmouth's 17 assists in the win over Colgate is the most they have had in a single game this season, and the most since going for 21 in a win at Manhattan on February 6, 2021. Shavar Reynolds led the way with a career-high nine helpers.

CLEANING THE GLASS
Monmouth posted one of their best rebounding games under King Rice in the win at Yale, topping the Bulldogs on the glass by 16, the highest rebounding margin in a game since a November 2017 win at Lehigh. Walker Miller led the way with nine, while Nikkei Rutty added eight. Overall this season, Monmouth has been out-rebounded as a team in just two of 12 games. 

HIGH-MAJOR WINS
Monmouth won its seventh and eighth games over high-major opponents under King Rice this season, topping the University of Cincinnati on the road 61-59 and Pitt by a 56-52 count. Rice moved to 2-0 against AAC opponents after topping Memphis in 2016, and picked up his second win over the ACC after topping Pitt to go along with beating Notre Dame in 2015. He now has wins over UCLA, USC, Notre Dame, Rutgers and Georgetown to go with the two AAC and ACC wins.

LAST TIME OUT
Walker Miller had a career-best 26 points and Marcus McClary posted a double-double as MU came from down as many as 18 to have a late shot to tie before falling to Hofstra, 77-71.

WHAT'S TO COME
Monmouth heads to Marist Sunday for a MAAC matchup at 2:00 p.m.