2023-24 Monmouth Basketball Gameday Preview: Game Twelve
                                                                                     
Monmouth Hawks (6-5, 0-0 CAA) vs. Manhattan Jaspers (4-5, 1-1 MAAC)
Thursday, December 21, 2023 - 2:00 p.m.
OceanFirst Bank Center, West Long Branch, NJ
 
TV
SNY/FloSports
Play-by-Play: Matt Harmon
Analyst: Chris Williams

QUICK BULLETS

• Monmouth comes off a win over Rider last Saturday, 77-71
• Nikita Konstantynovskyi posted his second career double-double in the game
• Konstantynovskyi was one point off a career high with 21 points
• MU plays its second MAAC team in a row
• This is Monmouth's last game for 10 days before playing at Oklahoma on 12/31
• MU is looking to secure an over .500 non-conference schedule this season
• Jakari Spence made a buzzer-beating three to beat NIU (12/9), and Spence's shot was featured as #1 on ESPN's Sports Center's Top 10 plays
• This is the 25th ever meeting between Monmouth and Manhattan
• Abdi Bashir was named the CAA Rookie of the Week on 11/27
• The Hawks have started the same five in all 11 games

A MONMOUTH WIN WOULD...

• tie Monmouth's win total from 2022-23
• mark the seventh win of the season for Monmouth
• be MU's fourth home win of the season and fourth straight at home
• be MU's 10th straight win over Manhattan
• give Monmouth its 195th win over a MAAC opponent
• register as the 196th win of Rice's career
• hand Manhattan its sixth loss of the season
• make Monmouth 2-0 against MAAC competition this season
• secure an over .500 record in non-conference play
• be MU's 13th win in the calendar year of 2023

MORE INFO ON THE ALL-TIME SERIES

• The series is 15-9 Monmouth
• It will be the 25th time the two teams meet
• Last year's meeting saw Monmouth capture a victory in Riverdale
• King Rice is 13-6 as the Monmouth head coach against Manhattan
• Monmouth has beaten Manhattan 10 times in a row
• MU is 194-178 all-time against MAAC members
• This marks the second year in a row the teams will meet as non-league foes, with last year's meeting the first non-conference meeting since 12/23/96
• This is Monmouth's second MAAC opponent this season (Rider)

NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME OUT 

• Konstantynovskyi posted his second career double-double, both this season.
• Konstantynovskyi's 21 points is his second career 20+ point game and one off a career best.
• Jaret Valencia's four threes marked a career best.
• Jack Collins scored in double digits for the seventh time this season.
• Valencia tied a career-high with three blocks.
• Valencia's 16 points was three off a career best and his fourth double-figure game of this season.
• Jakari Spence tied a season high with six assists.
• Monmouth outshot Rider 51% to 45%.
• MU was better from deep, 52% to 40%.
• The Hawks dominated off turnovers, 21-6.
• MU had 19 assists on 28 made shots.

NEXT UP

• Monmouth will visit Oklahoma on December 31 in Norman, OK
• The teams will meet for the first time ever in men's basketball competition
• Monmouth is already 1-0 against the Big 12 this season (West Virginia)
• Oklahoma is currently 10-0 and #7 in the AP poll and #8 in the coaches poll
• The game will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and on the radio via the Monmouth Digital Network