The Monmouth Hawks (22-6) finish out the regular season on the road at Yanitelli Center when they face off with the Saint Peter’s Peacocks (12-14). The game begins at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21.
The Peacocks are hoping to rebound after their 56-55 loss to Quinnipiac on Thursday. Quadir Welton recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds, earning his eighth double-double of the year. The Hawks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 83-67 loss against Iona on Friday. Justin Robinson had a team-high 21 points.
It’s a matchup of two different tempos, as the up-and-down Hawks (ranked 21st in the nation in possessions per game) square off against the slow-paced Peacocks (304th).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first matchup 73-57. Collin Stewart was a standout player in the game, producing 17 points, four rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and four three-pointers.
The Peacocks enter the game with records of 12-14 Straight Up (SU) and 14-8 Against The Spread (ATS). The most recent ten-game stretch for the Peacocks has gone great. Over that span, Saint Peter’s is averaging 78.9 points per game, well over their season average of 65.5. Expect Saint Peter’s to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Hawks, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 21.6 fouls per game.
On the other side, the Hawks head into the game with records of 16-10 ATS and 22-6 SU. During the last 10 games, they averaged 60.5 PPG, below their 80.4 PPG season average. The Hawks convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 39th in the nation at .381. The Monmouth defense has allowed an average of 65.0 points per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 73.1. Monmouth’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .393 from the field. They average 8.1 steals per game, good for 24th in the nation.
Monmouth won the last meeting this season between these two teams, but the win was not enough to overtake Saint Peter’s in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent meetings. Furthermore, Saint Peter’s leads the matchup ATS with a record of 4-2. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Monm, ATS Winner – Monm
Notes
The Monmouth Hawks average 80.4 points per game, ranking 26th in the nation. The Saint Peter’s Peacocks rank 50th in points allowed with 66.7.
The Monmouth Hawks have a defensive rating of 98.0 (ranked 60th), while the Saint Peter’s Peacocks have an offensive rating of 98.6 (ranked 296th).
Monmouth beats Saint Peter’s in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Hawks average 74.0 possessions and 1.087 points per possession, while the Peacocks average 66.4 possessions with .986 points per possession.
Monmouth has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.7%. Saint Peter’s is an underachieving 2-11 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Saint Peter’s attempts 18.0 three pointers and Monmouth attempts 20.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks are 5-7 while the Monmouth Hawks have a fantastic 13-3 record.
Saint Peter’s ranks 192nd in offensive rebounds, while Monmouth ranks 21st in defensive rebounds.
On average, Saint Peter’s forces a turnover rate of 18.3%. When Monmouth turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 8-3 record.
