Monmouth Holds Off Princeton, 96-90

Tuesday, December 20

West Long Branch, N.J.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

4-6

Monmouth

10-2

Princeton

Monmouth

Photo by: New York Yankees

December 20, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Game Highlights | Photo Gallery | Postgame Notes

Despite a hot start for the Princeton men's basketball team, the second-to-last road game of the pre-conference season for the Princeton men's basketball team went to Monmouth on Tuesday night in West Long Branch, 96-90.

Princeton got out to a 13-2 lead on the way to hitting its first four 3-point tries of the game and led by as many as 13 at 27-14 midway through the first half. Monmouth closed the half on a 14-3 run, taking its first lead on a Josh James bucket in the closing seconds to head into the break up 39-38.

Though the Tigers got out to a 66-58 lead just past the midway point of the second half, the Hawks answered that with a 16-0 run, keeping Princeton off the board for four and a half minutes while growing their lead as large as eight.

Princeton was within two at 80-78 with two minutes to play, but a Je'lon Hornbeak bucket two Monmouth possessions later put the Hawks back up four with 1:48 to go, and the Tigers weren't able to get within four after that point. Monmouth did its part from the stripe, going 10 for 12 there in the final minute.

Steven Cook (30) and Devin Cannady (26) each set career-best scoring totals, Cook bettering his previous high by two and Cannady by three.

Both teams hit 33 field goals and 14 3-pointers among them, but Monmouth got to the free-throw line nine more times and made six more (10-12 for Princeton to 16-21 for Monmouth) and outrebounded the Tigers by eight, 40-32.

Princeton's 90 points were its most ever in a defeat. The previous high in a loss was 87, when the Tigers fell 108-87 to No. 6 Illinois on Dec. 28, 1956.

The Tigers will have a quick turnaround before their final pre-conference road game Thursday at Bucknell for a 7 p.m. tip.