STONY BROOK, N.Y.  – Behind a 25-point, 12-rebound double-double from Jason Rivera-Torres, the Monmouth University men's basketball team earned a 76-75 victory on the road against Stony Brook on Thursday evening.

The Hawks (12-12, 6-5 CAA) never trailed in the win, earning their fourth straight victory over the Seawolves. Kavion McClain made his season debut for Monmouth, scoring 14 points and dishing five assists in 36 minutes of action, helping to hand Stony Brook just its third home loss in 12 games this season.

The teams started a combined 2-for-11 and were tied, 2-2, after four minutes. McClain scored eight points in the next three minutes as the Hawks raced out to a 16-7 advantage, forcing a Stony Brook timeout.

Monmouth had the three-ball working and grew the lead to as many as 17 over the course of a 17-3 run. Down 29-12, the Seawolves responded, scoring 11 of the game's next 14 points to get back within seven, 32-25.

In a half of runs, the Hawks continued to make threes, as the eighth of the first half by the visitors capped an 8-0 spurt, going up 42-27 with three minutes to play in the opening period. Monmouth forced nine Stony Brook turnovers in the first 20 minutes and led 46-31 at the break.

Both squads started slow in the second half, but the Seawolves were able to get back within six, five minutes into the second period. Rivera-Torres scored the first eight points of the period for Monmouth, helping the Hawks reestablish a 10-point advantage, 54-44, with 11:50 remaining.

After McClain scored five in a row to go back up 15, Stony Brook went on a 12-2 run in just under three minutes to get within five, 61-56, with 8:12 to play. After the Monmouth lead shrank to three with five minutes on the clock, Rivera-Torres scored off a full-court pass from Jack Collins, helping the Hawks go back up by six, 69-63, at the 3:29 mark.

After the final media timeout, the teams traded baskets, but the Seawolves connected from deep with two minutes to play, getting back within three, 71-68. Stony Brook cut its deficit to one with 27 seconds to play before a free throw by McClain made it 74-72. The Hawks forced a turnover with five seconds left on the ensuing possession and Rivera-Torres iced the game with a pair of free throws, rendering a SB three at the buzzer meaningless in a 76-75 victory.

Notes

• Jason Rivera-Torres tallied his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 25 points and matching his career-high with 12 rebounds.
• Rivera-Torres has seven games this season with at least 20 points. Tonight was just his second 20-point double-double of the season.
• Kavion McClain made his Monmouth debut and scored 14 points and dished five assists. It was his 34th career game with at least 10 points.
• Cornelius Robinson III scored 10 points, reaching double figures for the fourth straight game.
• The 46 points Monmouth scored in the first half are its most in the first 20 minutes of any game in CAA play this season. It was the Hawks' largest halftime lead since the season-opener against Caldwell on Nov. 4.
• The Hawks made seven threes in the first half.
• The Hawks had a season-high 15 steals in the contest. It was the most steals in a game by a Hawks team since they did it twice during the 2023-24 season. Six players had at least one steal in the contest for Monmouth.
• Monmouth has won its last four matchups against Stony Brook.
• With the victory, Monmouth tied Stony Brook in the standings at 6-5 and moved into a five-way tie for third place in the CAA.
• After missing the last two games, Jack Collins started the 117th game of his Monmouth career, moving into a tie for second-most starts in program history.

Up Next

• Monmouth has a week off before traveling to Philadelphia next Thursday to face Drexel.