Monmouth basketball opens CAA homestand vs. Drexel: 3 keys as critical stretch begins

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WEST LONG BRANCH – It’s been well documented how much better Monmouth plays at OceanFirst Bank Center compared to other arenas.

And while the Hawks will have to solve their road woes if this season is to be a success, taking care of business at home, where they’ve won 16 of their last 17 games, is the top priority as a four-game homestand begins tonight (7 p.m.; SNY/ NBC Sports Philadelphia/ FloCollege) against Drexel.

For Monmouth (5-16, 3-5 CAA), Drexel represents the first in a series of opportunities over the next 10 days to get back into the hunt for a decent seed at the CAA Tournament.

Monmouth’s Abdi Bashir Jr. dribbles against William & Mary on Jan. 25, 2025 in Williamsburg, Va.

Drexel (12-9, 4-4 CAA) comes in off a 13-point home win over Delaware, which comes to OFBC Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff.

Drexel features an experienced core group of players that were together last season, led by 6-6 junior Kobe MaGee, averaging 15.0 points-per-game and shooting 44% from 3-point range. Yame Butler, a 6-5 senior, is averaging 14.0 ppg. and 4.0 rebounds-per-game. Cole Hargrove, a 6-8 junior, is averaging 10.3 ppg. and 8.2 rpg.

Rounding out the lineup are Jason Drake, a 6-2 JUCO transfer averaging 9.1 points, and Victor Panov, a 6-7 junior averaging 6.4 ppg. and 4.6 rpg.

Based on the NET rankings it would be a nice win for Monmouth, which comes in ranked 277, compared to 188 for Drexel.

Here are three keys for Monmouth against Drexel Thursday night:

1. Protect the ball

William & Mary beat Monmouth last Saturday thanks to a 23-5 second-half run in a span of just over seven minutes, powered by eight Monmouth turnovers. In all, the Hawks turned it over 21 limes, resulting in 22 points for the Tribe.

You can’t win any game, home or away, when you’re that careless with the ball. The Hawks have such a small margin for error offensively, if you’re giving away that many possessions it’s impossible to score enough points.

2. Offensive efficiency

Drexel plays defense. The Dragons are…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/monmouth-basketball-opens-caa-homestand-111402484.html

Author : App.com | Asbury Park Press

Publish date : 2025-01-30 11:14:00

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