Final Score 
Monmouth (4-4, 0-0 CAA) – 88
Lafayette (2-7, 0-0 Patriot) – 74
 
EASTON, Pa. – Four Hawks scored in double figures as the Monmouth men's basketball team closed out the Lafayette Classic with an 88-74 victory over host school Lafayette on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Hawks, who finished the tournament 2-1, jumped out to a 19-point first-half lead that grew to as many as 21 in the second half, earning their second all-time victory over the Leopards. Andrew Ball recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds, earning his first career double-double, while sophomore guard Justin Ray led the team with a 21-point outing.
 
After Stefanos Spartalis hit a pair of free throws to give the Hawks their first lead of the day, 7-6, Jason Rivera-Torres and Ray hit back-to-back threes to make it 13-6 just over four minutes in. The Leopards responded with a three-pointer, but Monmouth went on a quick 7-0 spurt, highlighted by five points from Rivera-Torres, to go up 20-9.
 
With 8:30 remaining in the first half, Jinup Doboul made a three to extend the Monmouth advantage to 16. The Hawks held Lafayette to 4-of-14 shooting in the first 12 minutes, and Corelius Robinson III put the finishing touches on an 8-0 run for the visitors, converting an and-one opportunity before Lafayette ended the stretch with a basket of its own, making it 32-15. Another 9-2 stretch extended the lead to 41-22, with 2:30 left in the first half.
 
The Leopards scored six quick points to cut their deficit to 13, forcing Monmouth to call timeout with a minute left. Lafayette scored four more in the final minute, cutting the Hawks' lead to nine at halftime, 41-32.
 
Monmouth opened the second half with four points in the first minute to reestablish a 13-point edge before the home side cut it to seven with a pair of three-pointers. Ray hit from beyond the arc to make it six straight for the Hawks, but Lafayette responded with a shot from deep of its own, making it 52-45. Up by 10, Rivera-Torres blocked a three-pointer on the defensive end and converted a layup on the fast break, his 15th point of the afternoon.
 
Midway through the half, Robinson III banked in a layup to complete an 8-2 run, extending the Monmouth lead back to 18, 68-50. A Collins three-pointer and a two-handed flush from Dok Muordar with under seven minutes to play gave the Hawks a 19-point advantage, matching their largest of the game.
 
The lead grew to as many as 21 before Monmouth was able to close out the final minutes of an 88-74 victory.

Quote
"I was proud of our effort. Playing three games in three days is always difficult but I'm proud of our perseverance. We want to see a packed house on Wednesday against Princeton." - Head coach King Rice
 
Notes

• Justin Ray scored a team-high 21 points on Sunday, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field. It was his fourth performance in the last five games with at least 10 points.
• Jason Rivera-Torres scored 20 points for the Hawks, reaching the 20-point mark for the second day in a row. Rivera-Torres leads Monmouth in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game.
• Rivera-Torres added six rebounds and matched his season best with three blocks.
• Andrew Ball recorded his first-career double-double, adding 12 points and 10 rebounds.
• Stefanos Spartalis continued his strong start to his rookie campaign, scoring 12 points against Lafayette, his sixth game in double figures this season. The Greece product is tied with Ray for second on the team with 13.4 points per game.
• The Hawks made 57.1 percent of their three-pointers, their highest percentage in a game since hitting 57.1 percent against Lehigh in 2023.

 
Up Next
Monmouth will return home on Wednesday for an in-state matchup against Princeton. Tipoff from the OceanFirst Bank Center is set for 8 p.m.