Monmouth basketball vs. UNC Wilmington: Can Hawks turn season around vs. CAA elite?

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WEST LONG BRANCH – Abdi Bashir Jr. needs a wingman – or two or three. And the high-scoring Monmouth guard needs them now, as the Hawks enter a two-game home stretch that could alter the course of the season, beginning with UNC Wilmington’s visit to OceanFirst Bank Center Thursday night.

Bashir, a 6-7 sophomore, is averaging a gaudy 21.7 points-per-game, but no one else is averaging in double figures, even with defenses laser focused on stopping Bashir. Consequently, Monmouth (3-12, 1-1 CAA) is averaging just 67.7 points-per-game, which ranks 12th in the CAA.

That likely won’t be enough against UNCW, which enters the game (7 p.m.; FloHoops) averaging 81.5 points, as Monmouth puts its 15-game home winning streak on the line.

At issue is the fact that among the four players beside Bashir who returned this season, none have improved significantly.

Monmouth’s Cornelius Robinson III (left) defends against Delaware’s Trent Middleton Jr. in the first half at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, Del., Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.

Junior guard Jack Collins is averaging 8.8 points, down from 10.7 points a year ago. Redshirt sophomore forward Jaret Valencia is averaging 8.9 points, compared to 8.3 as a rookie, while sophomore forward Cornelius Robinson III is at 5.3 points, up from 5.1. And guard Andrew Ball, who averaged 4.0 points as a freshman before sitting out last season, is at just 1.7 points so far.

More: Monmouth basketball road woes continue in loss at Delaware: Takeaways from an 84-64 defeat

Bashir, on the other hand, is averaging 15.4 points higher than his 6.3-point average from a year ago.

Junior point guard Madison Durr, a Citadel transfer averaging 9.8 points, had been their most consistent scorer besides Bashir, but is 1-of-11 from the floor over the past two games, including a lopsided 84-64 loss at Delaware Saturday.

If Monmouth has good ball movement and shares it, they have a chance. In their two recent wins they totaled 32 assists. They only had six assists against…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/monmouth-basketball-vs-unc-wilmington-112043965.html

Author : App.com | Asbury Park Press

Publish date : 2025-01-09 11:20:00

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