WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Graduate center Nikita Konstantynovskyi scored 22 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, the sixth 20-20 game in Division I this season, to help lead Monmouth University Men's Basketball past Stony Brook University Saturday, 84-61.
 
A 24-6 run to open the second half saw three different Hawks make threes and Konstantynovskyi score nine points as the MU lead opened up to 26 after consecutive threes from Jack Collins and Jaret Valencia, with Robinson going on a personal 6-0 run later on as the Hawks continued their home dominance, winning 84-61.
 
Monmouth led by six after five quick points from Valencia, but a 7-0 Seawolves run gave them their final lead of the afternoon at 13:26 of the opening half. Cornelius Robinson ignited an 8-0 run with six of his own points, and after Stony Brook got within two, MU closed the half on an 8-2 run sparked almost fully by Konstantynovskyi to take an eight-point lead to the break.
 
NOTES AND QUOTES
 
"The thing that brought us today was the former players, it's such a big deal that the former guys are part of everything we do and we need that. The guys showed up last night and today and that gave us energy all day, the energy was different knowing that the former guys and coaches who built this are in the arena, you want to play a good game and we did today." – Head Coach King Rice
 
"I played hard and today was a good day. It's always nice when the former players come back, we played hard, we battled and we won. We play together and we fight for each other and that's how you get wins." – Graduate Nikita Konstantynovskyi
 
-Nikita Konstantynovskyi's 22 points and 20 rebounds marked the sixth Division I player to have a 20-20 game this season.
-Konstantynovskyi's 20 rebounds is the most by a Hawk under King Rice, and the most since Corey Albano had 20 on 2/22/97 against LIU.
-Konstantynovskyi registered the sixth 20-rebound game in Monmouth history.
-This was the first 20-20 game in the CAA since Hofstra's Rokas Gustys on 2/15/18.
-Konstantynovskyi's 22 points and 20 rebounds both marked career highs.
-Cornelius Robinson scored a career-high 16 points.
-Monmouth has now won 12 straight games at home, one shy of tying a program record.
-This marked MU's fifth 40-rebound game of the season, totaling 46.
-MU's four turnovers was a season low and the least since 3/6/20 against Siena.
-Jaret Valencia was two points off a career high, scoring in double figures for the ninth time.
-Jack Collins scored in double figures for the fourth time in five games.
-Assistant coach Rick Callahan coached in his 1,300^th career college basketball game.
-Over 50 Monmouth Basketball alumni attended the game as part of Alumni Weekend.

NUMBERS CRUNCH
-Monmouth outshot Stony Brook 45% to 35%.
-The Hawks were better from three, 35% to 18%.
-MU dominated on the glass, 46-33.
-MU topped Stony Brook in the paint 36-24.
-MU led for 37:51 of the game.

UP NEXT
-Monmouth visits Towson Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. The game will air on FloSports and on the radio via the Monmouth Digital Network.