Washington, D.C. – Six Hawks scored in double figures as Monmouth University Men's Basketball shot 55.2% from the field in running past Campbell University in the second round of the 2024 Coastal Athletic Association Tournament, 90-67 Saturday in Washington, DC.
 
In a 14-point game, Monmouth scored 11 in a row capped by a Nikita Konstantynovskyi layup to lead by 25 at 14:10. The second-half lead was never less than 16, with Rice scoring eight points on a pair of threes in the period and with the lead at 16, MU scored nine straight to lead by 25 again, winning by 23, 90-67.
 
Campbell led 17-8 at 13:56 of the opening half before Monmouth ripped off a 13-4 run to tie the game on a crossover step back jumper from Cornelius Robinson Jr. Klemen Vuga, who scored eight first-half points, put MU up to stay with 7:10 left in the first, part of a Hawks stretch that included a trio of threes from Abdi Bashir Jr. and another from Collins. Bashir's triple at 1:38 made it a 13-point lead, and Konstantynovskyi scored on a reverse in the closing seconds of the half to send Monmouth to the break up by 15.
 
Notes and Quotes

"Watching his team play, they're just, they're a problem to deal with. He has so much skill out there. If you, you play your normal defense, they pick you apart. With that being said, I think my guys were super ready today. When it started, they, they hit those threes early, we just tried to stay calm as a staff and just keep talking about the things we had prepared for all week. Once we calmed down a little bit, I've been telling them, our offense will be there with us." – Head Coach King Rice
 
"Seeing that many guys score is great. Xander's been carrying us all year. He's been doing a great job scoring the ball and making tough shots all the time. Being able to be there for him and help out – to have Jaret get a couple of easy dunks and Nikita killing inside – I think it was, it was really, really big for us to help extend the lead to keep the lead." – Guard Jack Collins


-Monmouth has won its opening game of the conference tournament for the seventh time under King Rice.
-MU put six in double figures for the first time this season.
-Monmouth scored 90 points for the second time this season (November 24 vs. Belmont).
-Jakari Spence matched his career best with 14 points, also setting a season best.
-The game was Spence's sixth this year in double digits.
-Jack Collins notched his third career double-double, all this season.
-Collins also matched a career-best with six assists.
-Xander Rice had a season best eight assists.
-Abdi Bashir scored in double figures for the sixth time this year.
-Bashir made three triples for the eighth time this season.
-King Rice is now 11-10 in conference tournament games.
-Monmouth's 22 assists is the most since having 23 against Niagara on January 29, 2021.
-The 23-point margin of victory is the largest in the CAA 8/9 game since 1997.
-Monmouth went 2-0 against Campbell this season.
-King Rice evens his career record at 207-207.
-MU is now 3-0 on neutral floors this season.
-Monmouth's 50 points in the paint is a season high.
 
Numbers Crunch
-MU outrebounded Campbell 37-21.
-Monmouth outshot the Camels, 55% to 44%.
-Monmouth dominated the paint, 50-20.
-The Hawks led for the final 27:58
 
Up Next
-Monmouth takes on #1 Charleston in the CAA quarterfinals tomorrow, Sunday March 10, at noon. The game will air on FloSports and on the radio via the Monmouth Digital Network.