WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Xander Rice banked in a buzzer-beating three pointer to cap a frantic comeback and send Monmouth University Men's Basketball past Campbell University Thursday night, 88-87. Rice banked home two threes in the final 3.2 seconds and Monmouth ended the game on an 8-2 run in the final 9.3 seconds to win its 11^th straight game at home.
 
Campbell led by eight with 13:25 left before Rice got going, ultimately knocking home two threes in 26 seconds, the second a four-point play to cap a 14-2 run that saw Monmouth flip the deficit to a four-point lead. All told, Monmouth's run was 23-4, spanning just under seven minutes and putting MU up 11, 77-66. Campbell's comeback came primarily from the foul line, as the Fighting Camels used a 12-0 run to get the lead back, with all but three of those points scored from the foul line. Anthony Dell'Orso capitalized on an MU turnover to hit a three with 1:01 left to put Campbell up two. The visitors led by five with 10 seconds to go, when Robinson made a layup to cut it to three. Campbell split a pair ahead of Rice banking in a triple with 3.2 seconds left to make it a one-point game, and when the Camels again went one-for-two from the stripe, Rice banked home the winner at the horn to send the Hawks home victorious.  
 
Monmouth led by as many as six in the first half, but after Campbell took the lead at 8:55, the Fighting Camels slowly built a lead as large as 10 into the final minute of the half. Following a Hawks timeout, MU closed the period on a 7-0 run, capped by Cornelius Robinson Jr. grabbing a steal and dunking in transition to end the first 20 minutes with MU down three.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"You keep believing because the games never over until the horn sounds. We kept believing that there was still a chance and when you believe like that, incredible things can happen." – Head Coach King Rice

"I was trying to get it on the right side in the corner and I was going to spin off and take it on the other side but he did a good job of jumping in front of me so I knew if I curled and got a running start I would probably have one or two dribbles. I just knew I had to get to my spot and try to get a good look off." – Xander Rice on the final shot
 
-This marked Monmouth's 11^th straight home win, the second longest streak in program history.
-Xander Rice scored a career-high 37 points, his fourth 30-point game of the season.
-Rice made eight threes, the fifth Hawk in program history to make eight or more triples in one game.
-Rice's 37 points is the 11^th most points in a game in program history.
-Monmouth has made two true buzzer beaters this season for the first time under King Rice.
-Jaret Valencia scored in double figures for the eighth time this season.
-Valencia blocked four shots for the fifth time this year.
-This was MU's third win this season after trailing by double digits.
-This was the first matchup between Monmouth and Campbell since 1983.
-Every Hawk to play in the game scored.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth was better off the bench, 14-11.
-MU topped Campbell in the paint, 42-32.
-The Hawks were better on the move, 23-18.
-The game featured five ties and eight lead changes.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth hosts Stony Brook Saturday at 4:00 p.m. The game will air on SNY, NBC Sports Philadelphia and FloSports, and tickets are available at MonmouthHawks.com/Tickets.