WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Nikita Konstantynovskyi and Jack Collins recorded double-doubles, and Xander Rice led the way with 24 points as Monmouth University Men's Basketball came back in the second half to top Manhattan College, 77-71 Thursday afternoon.
 
Monmouth opened the second half on a 13-6 run, taking its first lead on a Rice triple at 15:20. MU never trailed after Konstantynovskyi's put back at 13:24, using a 9-0 run capped by a Jaret Valencia triple at 2:17 to lead by the largest margin of the game, 12. The Hawks were 8-8 from the foul line in the final minute to secure the seventh non-league win of the season.
 
Manhattan led for the duration of the opening half but never by more than eight, with Monmouth hanging in the entire period. A Rice reverse layup cut it to one at 6:22, and after Manhattan got it back to eight at 33-25, MU went on a 9-2 run including a long Collins triple to trail by just three at the break, 37-34.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"Just a good solid college basketball game and I told me guys it's a credit to who they are. It's a credit to these kids to grind out a win, today we had to dig deep and grind out a win against an undermanned Manhattan team. We're fortunate to get that one done today and now we get to go have Christmas break." – Head Coach King Rice

"Every game is an adjustment, they tried to throw a lot of different defenses at me and switch things up. They're trying to make things more difficult on me because if I get comfortable and rolling and know the reads I'm looking for off ball screens, the game slows down and is easy." – Graduate guard Xander Rice
 
-Monmouth wins its seventh non-conference game of the season, one off a program record.
-Konstantynovskyi and Collins recorded double-doubles, the first time since January 24, 2020 against Niagara that MU had two do it in the same game (Ray Salnave and Marcus McClary).
-The double-double was the second of both Konstantynovskyi's and Collins' careers.
­-Xander Rice scored 20+ points for the eighth time this season.
-Collins' 13 rebounds marked a career high.
-Jakari Spence's seven assists marked a season high and the most by a Hawk in a game this year.
-Xander Rice went 8-8 from the line, the most makes without a miss from the stripe by a Hawk this year.
-MU's 47 rebounds as a team was the most this season and most since 47 against Norfolk State on 11/17/22.
-Monmouth won its second straight game by the same score, 77-71.
-The Hawks are 2-0 against MAAC competition this season.
-Monmouth started the same lineup for the 12^th straight game this season.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
 
-Monmouth outshot Manhattan 47% to 36%.
-MU was better on the glass, 47-34.
-The Hawks dominated second-chance points, 14-1.
-Monmouth was better in the paint, 32-20.
-The Hawks topped the Jaspers on the move, 22-12.
-MU led for 15:03 on the night.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth closes out its non-conference slate at #7/8 Oklahoma on December 31. The game will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and on the radio via the Monmouth Digital Network.