WEST LONG BRANCH — The Monmouth men’s basketball team has had a difficult time maintaining a consistent winning streak throughout the season. Their latest opportunity to build momentum was lost in a 73-57 defeat against Hofstra on Saturday afternoon.

Monmouth had managed to win its previous two games, but the loss on January 31, which took place in front of the largest crowd at the OceanFirst Bank Center this season, dropped the Hawks to an 11-12 record, with a 5-5 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association.

Hofstra ended a five-game losing streak with this victory. The Pride had not won a game since defeating Monmouth in overtime three weeks prior.

Monmouth guard Jack Collins missed his second consecutive game due to injury.

“Jack will play next game,” said coach King Rice. “And that’s the thing, when you lose a guy like Jack for one game, you’ll play better – that was our game the other night. Then you need your main guy back. When a guy like Jack is gone, guys can do it for a game, but then you’re not going to play that well (for an extended period) without that guy.”

Hofstra maintained a lead throughout the entire game. Although Monmouth managed to cut the deficit to five points early in the second half, they were unable to sustain their momentum.

5 Takeaways

1. ‘We were soft today’
   
   For the second night in a row, Monmouth struggled in the rebounding battle. Against North Carolina A&T on Thursday, the Hawks failed to control the boards and Saturday was no different. Hofstra had size and athleticism both in their starting lineup and off the bench. Without Collins, Monmouth was outmatched inside the paint. Hofstra dominated the rebounding, securing 40 rebounds compared to Monmouth’s 22, and earned 16 second-chance points.

“We were soft today,” Rice said. “There’s no other explanation. They came in here with a plan. They don’t do this to anybody else. Today, Monmouth basketball was soft and we didn’t stand up against their heat.”

1. Poor shooting afternoon
   
   Hofstra entered the game with the best 3-point shooting percentage in the CAA at 37%. Monmouth could not match the deep shooting. The Hawks shot a dismal 17% from beyond the arc, making only 3 of 18 attempts.

“Our guys came in thinking we got the crowd, we got the people here, Corey (Miller) just hit a shot (a winning buzzer beater in Monmouth’s last game), and we talked all about it. I ain’t going to sit here today and say we didn’t have them ready,” Rice said.

1. Slow start for Monmouth, fast for Hofstra
   
   From the tip-off, Hofstra showed a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. Defensively, Hofstra was stingy in the paint, limiting Monmouth’s inside scoring. Meanwhile, Monmouth started settling for contested jump shots.

Hofstra’s Cruz Davis scored his team’s first five points, hitting tough 3-pointers and making both drives to the basket and dishes to his teammates. He finished with a game-high 24 points.

1. Corey Miller’s first start
   
   Two days after hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat NC A&T on Monmouth’s home floor, Miller, a walk-on junior, received his first career start for the Hawks. He struggled defending the quick and skilled Hofstra backcourt of Preston Edmond and Davis but adjusted as the game progressed. Once Miller settled in, he began to get paint touches and find his teammates for assists. He recorded 4 points and 3 assists.

2. Alumni Day was a success
   
   Saturday saw the biggest crowd that Monmouth has had all season (2,572). This was partially due to an Alumni Day promotion and players from the Monmouth football team filling up the student section. The OceanFirst Bank Center was loud for anything that went the Hawks’ way. It also helped that Hofstra, a school in Long Island, isn’t too far from West Long Branch, and its fans traveled well.

“That was incredible,” Rice said. “I wish they came more often. I’ve begged people to come, I’ve begged former guys to come for 15 years. Today they came ’cause we honored them. Come more. Come more often.”