Elon, N.C. – Xander Rice posted his program-record tying fifth 30-point game of the season as Monmouth University Men's Basketball came back from down 15 points to beat Elon University Saturday afternoon, 85-70. All five MU starters scored in double figures as the Blue and White, led by Rice's 31, while Nikita Konstantynovskyi posted his sixth double-double of the year.
 
Elon led by 11 with 17:42 to play before a Monmouth 10-0 run got the Hawks within one, with four players contributing baskets in that stretch, Konstantynovskyi hit a floater in the lane to give Monmouth its first lead of the period at 13:42, and after the Phoenix regained a four-point edge, Monmouth scored 17 of the next 22 to lead by six, 64-58 after Rice made an acrobatic three-point play. Rice's wing three at 5:45 made it a nine-point game, the start of Rice's late-game takeover, converting an and-one and hitting two more triples in 1:18 to secure the win for Monmouth.
 
MU led early, 10-3 after a 10-0 run featuring consecutive Jaret Valencia dunks but Elon used a 19-4 run to lead by 15 at 6:18 of the opening half, 31-16. Monmouth got triples down the stretch from Jack Collins and Valencia before Rice made three late free throws to trim the deficit to eight at the intermission, 40-32.
 
Notes and Quotes
 
"All of them are big, but just because how our season has gone, I didn't like we hadn't won a road game in the league. We had played well but found ways to lose. Today we finally got going and the key was our defense. Our guys were really pressuring the ball and got us some easy baskets. We lost belief in each other on the road, and today we didn't do that. My staff did a good job keeping everyone's head in the right place." – Head Coach King Rice
 
"It was honestly a great feeling to get this off our back. We were doing a good job hiding it but it has been a struggle, more of mental thing at this point, so just happy to finally be done with it and now feeling a lot more confident." – Graduate Xander Rice
 
-Rice tied a program record with his fifth 30-point game of the season. Rich Pass (1984-85) and Corey Albano (1996-97) each had five.
-Rice currently ranks fourth in single-season scoring with 646 points, 17 behind Alex Blackwell in third.
-Monmouth had all five starters in double figures for the first time this season.
-Nikita Konstantynovskyi posted his sixth double-double of the year.
-Monmouth scored 53 points in the second half, their largest output in a half this season and most since 55 in the first half against Hampton in last years CAA Tournament.
-MU clinched its ninth winning conference record under King Rice at 10-8 in the CAA.
-Monmouth will be the #8 seed in the CAA Tournament, three spots ahead of the preseason poll.
-Jakari Spence posted his fifth double-figure scoring game, all in CAA play.
-MU snapped a 12-game road losing streak and won its first CAA road game this season.
 
Numbers Crunch
-Monmouth outshot Elon, 50% to 41%.
-The Hawks shot 64.5% in the second half and 45.5% from three.
-MU was better off turnovers, 19-12.
-The Hawks won the rebounding battle, 32-30.
-MU was dominant on the most, 19-3.
-The Blue and White topped Elon in the paint, 42-22.
 
Up Next
-Monmouth is the #8 seed in the upcoming CAA Tournament, and will take on #9 Campbell in the second round at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC. The game will air on FloSports and on the radio via the Monmouth Digital Network.