2021-22 Monmouth Basketball Game Twenty-Six Preview

Monmouth Hawks (16-9, 8-6 MAAC) vs. Rider Broncs (10-14, 6-8 MAAC)
Friday, February 18, 2022 - 7:00 p.m.
OceanFirst Bank Center, West Long Branch, NJ

TV
ESPN3
Play-by-Play: Eddy Occhipinti
Analyst: Dave Calloway

MONMOUTH COVID-19 POLICIES
Monmouth University has announced its campus-wide indoor event COVID-19 policies.
 
The following policies are in effect until further notice:

1.    All fans 18 and over are required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test administered by a doctor's office or a clinic within 72 hours of the event time for indoor Athletic events. Home test kit results will not be accepted.
2.    All event audiences must wear a mask that completely covers the nose and mouth of the participant. Face shields are not acceptable. This includes fans from 2-17 years of age.
3.    Athletic events held in the OceanFirst Bank Center will be permitted to have food in the stands as long as masks remain on when the participant is not actively consuming food or beverages. Masks must be worn otherwise.
 
Men's and women's basketball season ticket holders will be mailed (and emailed) instructions on how to obtain a vaccine credential which will require them to show their vaccine cards once and receive a credential to speed up entrance to events. Season ticket holders who are not vaccinated will need to show proof a negative test within 72 hours of the event for every event attended.
 
Additionally, there will be separate entrances for students, season ticket holders and the general public. More information on those locations will be available on MonmouthHawks.com.

QUICK BULLETS

-Monmouth is returning home for the first time in 10 days
-George Papas will be honored pregame after scoring his 1,000th career point
-This marks the first meeting of the season between MU and Rider
-Monmouth has won six of its last nine
-Marcus McClary will be honored pregame for breaking the school record for career games played earlier this season
-Jarvis Vaughan topped his career high with 11 points the last time out
-MU's four fifth-year seniors are all scoring over 9 ppg
-George Papas has earned two MAAC Player of the Week honors this season while Shavar Reynolds has one
-George Papas was named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List

A MONMOUTH WIN WOULD...
-mark Monmouth's 17th win of the season
-be the 178th win of King Rice's career, tying Dave Calloway for second all-time in program history and tying the most in Division I 
-be the Hawks seventh win at home this season
-be the Hawks seventh win in the last 10 games
-move the Hawks threw games over .500 in MAAC play at 9-6
-make Monmouth the second MAAC team to 17 overall victories (Iona)
-give MU the 1-0 season series lead over Rider
-make Monmouth 4-2 in February
-be MU's 29th win all time against the Broncs
-be Monmouth's third win in a row over Rider
-make MU 5-1 on Friday's this year

NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME OUT
-Jarvis Vaughan posted his first career double-figure game, finishing with 11 points and a career-best two made triples.
-Nikkei Rutty collected nine rebounds, his 11th game this season with eight or more boards.
-George Papas led MU with 10 rebounds, his third double-digit rebounding contest of his career and first since December 5 at Canisius.
-Jarvis Vaughan's first-half three pointer was the second made three of his career and first since January 20 at Fairfield.
-This marks the sixth MAAC team that Monmouth has completed its regular season series with.
-Sam Chaput made his second straight start and fourth of the season.
-Monmouth topped Iona on the boards, 43-31.
-Each team shot 39% from the field.s  s
-Monmouth was better in the paint, 32-18.
-MU was better off the bench, 24-20.
-Elijah Joiner led the Gaels with 15 points.

MORE INFO ON THE ALL-TIME SERIES
-Rider leads the all-time series 33-28
-Rider leads the series as DI opponents 31-25
-The series is 10-8 Monmouth as MAAC foes
-MU is 12-11 all-time in West Long Branch against the Broncs
-As MAAC foes, MU is 4-3 against Rider at home
-This is the first of two meetings this the season between the teams
-MU swept the meetings last season on back-to-back days in Lawrenceville
-This is the 62nd meeting all-time between the schools
-MU has won three of the last four and five of seven in the series
-The teams will meet again at Rider on March 5 to close out the regular season

THE KING AND BADGER PODCAST
Head Coach King Rice hosts a podcast titled "The King and the Badger Podcast" with Associate AD Gary Kowal. You can listen to the podcast here.