WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Jakari Spence hit a running three at the buzzer to complete a 19-point comeback for Monmouth University Men's Basketball over Northern Illinois University Saturday, 74-71. Nikita Konstantynovskyi led MU with 16 points and nine rebounds on the afternoon.
 
In a tie game with 19.2 seconds remaining, Northern Illinois' Zarique Nutter lost control on a drive that was grabbed by Jaret Valencia in the corner. He threw to Spence, who ran down the middle of the floor and banked home the winning three from straightaway to send MU to a 74-71 win.
 
MU scored the first seven points of the second half to get within five, and were down just two at 10:19 following a Klemen Vuga foul shot. NIU built the lead back to nine at 7:51 when Abdi Bashir Jr. entered, making three triples in 2:20 with a Robinson bucket in between to give Monmouth its first lead of the period at 62-61. Monmouth led by three before the Huskies scored six straight to lead by three, but Xander Rice converted a tough three in front of his own bench with 1:02 remaining to tie the game. Northern Illinois netted a tough baseline jumper with 41 seconds to go to go up 71-69, but Konstantynovskyi fought for multiple opportunities the other way before being fouled. He converted two free throws to tie it with 19.2 left, leading to Spence's heroics.
 
Six early Konstantynovskyi points and a Rice three got MU out to an early 12-6 lead, but a 27-2 run by NIU had them up 19 with 6:27 remaining in the opening half. MU got back in it with consecutive buckets from freshman Cornelius Robinson Jr. and a late triple from Jack Collins to trim it to 12 at the break.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"Monmouth got a blessing today by hitting the game winner by this guy [Jakari Spence]. His grandmother passed this week, he hasn't been at practice, he has a heavy heart right now and I swear his grandmother took care of him today. I'm happy for him that in this hard time for his family, they get to celebrate an incredible win that their son and grandson hit the final shot." – Head Coach King Rice on Jakari Spence

"It was an even game and we hit a shot at the end. I'm happy for our kids and you feel bad for them, but you're happy that your kids stayed engaged and kept fighting. They were better than I even thought so a ton of credit to them and their kids." – Head Coach King Rice
 
"Family is everything. That's all we knew from my dad's side of the family was my Nana and we got so close, I spent 22 years of my life with her so for her to be taken away is hard. I saw Xander on the final play, we always shoot half-court shots the day of the game and today none went in so that's just her looking over me." – Jakari Spence
 
-Monmouth trailed by as many as 19, their largest comeback of the season.
-Nikita Konstantynovskyi scored in double figures for the third time this season.
-Xander Rice scored in double digits for the eighth time in nine games.
-Abdi Bashir made three triples, and is now shooting 63.3% from deep on the year.
-This was Monmouth's first buzzer beater since February 4, 2022 (Marcus McClary vs. Fairfield).
-Jaret Valencia set a career-best with four steals.
-Spence posted a season-high nine points.
-This was Monmouth's first game against a MAC opponent since Eastern Michigan in 2010, and the first ever in West Long Branch.
 
NUMBERS CRUNCH
-MU was better from three, 42% to 25%.
-The Hawks topped NIU off the bench, 21-5.
-Monmouth was better on second-chance points, 21-11.
-The game featured six ties and seven lead changes.
 
UP NEXT
-Monmouth visits in-state foe Seton Hall on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Prudential Center. The game will air on FS1 and on the radio via the Monmouth Digital Network.