Will Campbell News

The 14-point lead enjoyed by the Monmouth University men's basketball team midway through the second half Wednesday night was gone.

With Monmouth leading scorer Travis Taylor on the bench in second-half foul trouble and Rider NBA hopeful Ryan Thompson at times a non-factor, someone needed to make a difference in Saturday's non-conference game at the Multipurpose Activity Center.

The hurried, fast-break pass attempt by point guard James Hett whizzed over the head of 6-foot-7 sophomore Travis Taylor Wednesday night when Monmouth played at Rutgers.

When your opponent is 0-6 and coming off an 18-point loss, you might be a little overconfident - especially if you're hosting them in your first home game in four weeks.

Monmouth trimmed 20 points off of a 25-point first-half deficit but it wasn't enough to overcome and the Hawks dropped an 81-72 decision to Sacred Heart in their Northeast Conference men's basketball opener in Fairfield, Conn., on Saturday.

Chauncey Hardy scored 18 points and three others reached double figures as Sacred Heart beat Monmouth 81-73 on Saturday in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams.Corey Hasssan added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Pioneers.

Jeremy Hazell scored 26 points and Herb Pope had 15 points and 17 rebounds to lift Seton Hall to an 87-72 victory over Monmouth on Sunday.

Love drove him here, Isiah Thomas says, to this brand-new gymnasium in West Long Branch filled with college students lampooning him.

The feeling of optimism that surrounds the Monmouth University men's basketball program apparently hasn't made its way much beyond the borders of West Long Branch.

He averaged 11.9 points per game two years ago and has 108 career 3-pointers. --Monmouth opens its new 4,100-seat MAC with a Nov.