2024-25 Monmouth Basketball Gameday Preview: Game Thirteen

Monmouth Hawks (2-10, 0-0 CAA) at #2/2 Auburn Tigers (11-1, 0-0 SEC)
Monday, December 30, 2024 - 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Neville Arena, Auburn, AL

TV
SEC Network +
Play-by-Play: Brit Bowen
Analyst: Joe Ciampi

RADIO
Monmouth Digital Network
Play-by-Play: Matt Harmon
Analyst: Bob Lampinen

QUICK BULLETS
-Monmouth is playing its final non-conference game this season
-MU comes off its second win of the season in its home opener vs. Fairfield
-Abdi Bashir has scored 20+ points in four games in a row
-MU netted a season-high 88 points and shot a season-best 55.5% last time out
-MU has won 14 in a row at home dating back to last season, tying the school record dating back to 2004
-The Hawks are playing in the state of Alabama for the first time since 1990
-Dok Muordar had a career-high eight points vs. Fairfield
-Jordan Meka and Auburn's Miles Kelly were teammates at Georgia Tech
-MU knocked off its 10th high-major under King Rice vs. Seton Hall
-This is the first-ever meeting between Monmouth and Auburn

A MONMOUTH WIN WOULD...
-mark the third win of the season for Monmouth
-be the 210th win of King Rice's career
-make the Hawks 3-10 this season
-be the first win for MU against Auburn in its first meeting
-signify the 11th high-major victory for Monmouth under King Rice
-mark as the second win over a ranked opponent in school history
-be the highest-ranked opponent the Hawks have ever beaten
-qualify as the first top-five opponent MU has ever beaten
-close non-league play 3-10 for MU
-be the second win over an SEC school in MU history (Vanderbilt, 2001)
-put the Hawks on a two-game winning streak

MORE INFO ON THE ALL-TIME SERIES
-This is the first-ever meeting between Monmouth and Auburn
-Monmouth is 1-8 all time against current SEC membership
-MU's lone win came during the 2001 Hawai'i Pacific Thanksgiving Classic, an 81-67 victory over Vanderbilt
-Monmouth fell to Mississippi State in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament
-Of the nine contests all time against current SEC members, six have come under Rice
-The Hawks fell to Ole Miss in the 2017 NIT in West Long Branch
-This will mark Monmouth's first game in the state of Alabama since the 1990 UAB Classic in Birmingham (December 14-15, 1990 at
UAB)

NOTES FROM THE LAST TIME OUT
-Monmouth tied a program record with its 14th straight home win, previously set by the 2003-04 and 2004-05 groups. 
-14 straight home wins is currently the 11th longest streak in the nation.
-Abdi Bashir posted his fourth straight game with 20 or more points.
-Dok Muordar scored a career-best eight points.
-Jack Collins scored in doubles for the fourth time in the last five games.
-Madison Durr posted double-figures for the eighth time this year.
-Jaret Valencia netted double-digits for the fifth time this season.
-Collins tied a season-high with five assists.
-Valencia tied a season-high with four blocked shots.
-King Rice is now 14-5 against Fairfield all time, including three in a row.
-MU won its home opener for the first time since 2021.
-Monmouth shot a season-high 55% from the field.
-MU outshot Fairfield 55% to 38%.
-The Hawks were better from three, 47% to 28%.
-Monmouth topped the Stags in the paint, 40-30.
-MU led for 37:55 of the 40 minutes.

NEXT UP
Monmouth opens conference play against Stony Brook at home on January 2 at 7:00 p.m. That game will air on SNY, NBC Sports
Philadelphia as well as on FloCollege.