The Metro Atlantic Athletic’s top team will be at home when the Monmouth Hawks (23-6) welcome the Rider Broncs (11-18) to Multipurpose Activity Center. The game gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 26 and will air on ES2.
The Hawks come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Saint Peter’s 82-75 in their last game. Micah Seaborn led all scorers on the team with 26 points on 8-for-17 shooting. The Broncs are coming off a 71-58 loss at the hands of Marist in their last outing. Xavier Lundy stood out for Rider, registering 12 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
This game should be a battle of contrasting styles. The Hawks (ranked 21st in the nation in possessions per game) prefer an up-and-down style of play, while the Broncs (313th) are slow-paced.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first matchup 79-78. In the loss, Kahlil Thomas had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
The Hawks are looking to build on their records of 23-6 Straight Up (SU) and 17-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Hawks have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 69.1 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 80.5 points per game. The Hawks are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting a superb .380 from beyond the arc. The Monmouth defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 65.0 points per game, well under their season average of 73.1. Teams have to fight for open shots against the Hawks, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .395. The Hawks are 22nd in the country in steals with 8.1 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Broncs have records of 10-15 ATS and 11-18 SU. The Broncs have shown improvement on the offensive end over the most recent 10 game stretch. Over that span, Rider is averaging 80.0 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 67.3. One advantage for the Broncs could be Monmouth’s high fouls per game average of 21.6.
The Hawks’ win over Rider in their last game wasn’t enough for them to overtake Rider in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 2-8 SU over the most recent meetings. With a 4-1-1 record, the Broncs also have the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – Monm, ATS Winner – Monm
Notes
Monmouth is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 80.5 points per game (ranked 21st). Rider allows 68.0 points per game (ranked 70th).
The Monmouth Hawks have a defensive rating of 98.3 (ranked 65th), while the Rider Broncs have an offensive rating of 101.9 (ranked 253rd).
The Monmouth Hawks average a field goal percentage of 44.2% this season. The Rider Broncs have an underachieving record of 1-8 when opponents have a FG% of 44.2% or greater.
The Monmouth Hawks rank lower for their field goal percentage (176th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (152nd), but the Rider Broncs have a better FG% ranking (220th) than eFG% ranking (243rd).
Monmouth, the 82nd-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 38.3 rebounds per game. Rider does worse, ranked 193rd with 35.9.
The Monmouth Hawks average 8.1 steals per game (ranked 22nd). The Rider Broncs have a subpar record of 2-8 when they allow at least 8 steals.
