Can Monmouth basketball build on Seton Hall upset? 3 keys vs Lehigh

[ad_1]

Monmouth took care of the winless thing in historic fashion by stunning Seton Hall, 63-51, in Newark Saturday.

Now what?

Winning at Lehigh tonight (7 p.m.; ESPN+) would go a long way toward supporting chatter about Monmouth being better than its 1-8 record, while anything short of that at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, would take the luster off the 10th high-major win under coach King Rice, and the first over a Big East foe in nearly a decade.

So it’s different pressure, but pressure nonetheless when the Hawks play their 10th straight game away from home to start the season. The home opener isn’t until Dec. 21, when Fairfield comes to OceanFirst Bank Center in West Long Branch.

Lehigh (2-5) is in a similar position to Monmouth, with the Mountain Hawks getting their first Division 1 win of the season Saturday, beating a Marist team that came in with a 4-1 record, including a win at Monmouth’s CAA rival Richmond, about to join Lehigh in the Patriot League, and home wins over Army, Dartmouth and New Hampshire.

Nov 30, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Monmouth Hawks head coach King Rice reacts during the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Leading the way is 6-4 senior guard Keith Higgins, averaging 17.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, while 6-2 senior guard Tyler Whitney-Sidney is hitting for 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds. The Mountain Hawks start four guards, with 5-11 senior Cam Gillus in double figures at 10.6 points and 3.7 rebounds and 6-5 senior Ben Knostman rounding out the backcourt. Freshman Hank Alvey, 6-9, starts, while 6-8 junior Bube Momah had 15 points off the bench against Marist.

Here are three keys for Monmouth as the Hawks look for a second straight win. And check back right here later Wednesday night for complete coverage:

1. Core four must lead the way

You finally saw the blueprint for Monmouth basketball winning games. It revolves around contributions from each of the four key…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/monmouth-basketball-build-seton-hall-105232144.html

Author : App.com | Asbury Park Press

Publish date : 2024-12-04 10:52:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.