WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Xander Rice scored a game-high 26 points, and freshman Abdi Bashir Jr. netted 21 on five three pointers as Monmouth University Men's Basketball shot 52.7% in a win over Lehigh University Tuesday, 88-79.
 
MU came out of the locker room to a 10-2 run, extending the lead to nine less than three minutes into the half. MU had answers to Lehigh all half long, including another pair of triples from Bashir, who made eight of his first nine shots from the field. Rice buried a long three at 7:43 to push the advantage back to nine, and when the Mountain Hawks got the margin down to four, Rice went 7-8 from the line down the stretch to seal the victory.
 
Monmouth led by five in the early stages after a Rice runner, but Lehigh got hot from beyond the arc, leading by 11 after three straight triples forcing an MU timeout at 9:05. Out of the timeout, Bashir got going, knocking in two threes in 32 seconds before Jaret Valencia made a jumper to cut it to three. Bashir then connected on his third three in a 1:36 stretch, followed by a Valencia dunk in transition to give MU the lead back. The Blue and White closed the period on a 6-0 run, capped by a Konstantynovskyi finish inside to send the Hawks to the locker room leading 43-42.

NOTES AND QUOTES

"I'm so happy for my kids. I got on these kids for two days, as hard as I've been since last season, and they responded. We got down 11, our defense picked up and then Abdi came in and put on a show for eight or nine minutes. I have so much respect for how Xander is leading this team along with the older guys, not just off the floor but on the floor, he's setting such a good example for the younger guys." – Head Coach King Rice
 
"I've seen him put the work in. I've seen him do this in practice and pickup countless times. I knew it was just a matter of time, I told him today that I had a feeling this was going to be his coming out party. I'm so happy for him because I see him put the work in every day." – Xander Rice on Bashir
 
"When I hit the first one it was cool, when I hit the second I felt alright but when I hit the third one I knew I was hot. Eveeything else, my teammates instill confidence in me all the time and Coach Rice does the same so it was just a matter of time before I made some shots and that's how it went down tonight." – Freshman Abdi Bashir Jr.
 
-Monmouth's 88 points are the most since the 2023 CAA Tournament against Hampton.
-Bashir's 21 points marked a career-high and the most points by a true freshman since Jack Collins had 32 against Hampton in the 2023 CAA Tournament.
-Bashir's five threes are also the most by a freshman since Collins' in the CAA Tourney.
-The five triples tied the most by a Hawk this season (Rice at WVU).
-Xander Rice's 26 points were four off a career-best, and the second best output of his career.
-Rice opened the season with four games in double figures, the first Hawk to do so since Walker Miller in 2021.
-Jaret Valencia posted his first double-digit scoring game and notched career highs in points with 11 and rebounds with six.
-Nikita Konstantynovskyi notched MU's second double-double of the season and the first of his career.
-MU's 12 threes were the most since 12/28/20 against Canisius (13).
-MU shot 52.7% from the field, the best since shooting 56.7% against Hampton in the 2023 CAA Tourney.
-The Hawks were 57.1% from deep, also the best since 58.8% in the CAA Tournament.
-Jakari Spence notched his eighth game with six or more assists.
-Jack Collins posted his 19^th career game in double figures.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth outshot Lehigh 53% to 45%.
-MU was better on the glass, 35-33.
-The Hawks were better from beyond the arc, 57% to 38%.
-MU dominated the fast break, 22-10.
-The Hawks led for 24:56, including the entire second half.
-Monmouth was better off the bench, 23-13.
 
UP NEXT
-Monmouth opens the Cathedral of College Basketball Classic on Friday when they take on Belmont at the Palestra at 2:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+ and on the radio via the Monmouth Digital Network.