Hampton Men’s Basketball Resumes Conference Play Against Monmouth

WHO: Hampton (11-12, 3-7) at Monmouth (7-16, 5-5)
WHEN: February 6 - 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: OceanFirst Bank Center
SERIES RECORD: Tied at (4-4)
BROADCAST: FloCollege
LIVE STATS: Click Here

HAMPTON, Va. (Feb. 5, 2025) … Hampton University men's basketball team resumes Coastal Athletic Association play against the Monmouth Hawks. Thursday's contest against the Hawks marks HU's first conference game in a week. Hampton had a pause in CAA action, facing longtime rival Howard at the Sports & Entertainment Center. The Pirates were able to escape Washington, D.C., with the overtime victory.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Since becoming a member of the league, Hampton has the advantage in the series 3-2. The program's first-ever meeting against Monmouth came during the 2003-04 season. HU fell to Hawks 64-52 in the series opener. The last meeting between the two squads came during the 2023-24 campaign. On senior night Hampton defeated Monmouth 64-56. Dan Banister Jr. led the team in scoring with a career-high 18 points off the bench. Banister Jr. shot an efficient 7-for-10 from the field.

ABOUT HAMPTON

The Pirates defeated Howard in their last time out 80-79. With two minutes remaining in the contest, the Pirates built a double-digit advantage. The Bison forced overtime with Blake Harper making shots down the stretch. With less than 30 seconds to go in overtime, the Pirates trailed by four. A pair of free throws by Tyler Rice made it a two-point game late. With Howard going 1-for-2 from the charity stripe, it remained a one-possession contest. As the shot clock was winding down, Wayne Bristol Jr. made the desperation three and was fouled on the shot. The Upper Marlboro, Md. native, made the free throw, putting Hampton up late. With Xzaiver Long's defensive efforts, the Pirates secured their 11th win of the season.

Under Coach Ivan Thomas's first season, the program has won double-digit games for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. Before league play started, the Pirates entered the new year above .500 for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Also back in December Hampton had its first undefeated month in over 20 years. With one more league win the program will have its most conference wins since becoming a member of the CAA.

Throughout the season, Hampton's bench has been one of the best in the country in scoring. With only eight games remaining, the Pirates lead the nation for bench points per game averaging 39 points per game. In its last contest, Hampton received 50 points off the bench. George Beale Jr. had a career-high 28 points while making five threes. Beale Jr. has been one of the best shooters in the conference. The Suffolk, Va. native, sits 10th in the CAA for made field goals and 12th for threes.

ABOUT MONMOUTH

The Hawks won only two non-conference games before the start of league play but currently sit seventh in the CAA standings. Monmouth has posted an impressive home record at OceanBank First Arena. The Hawks have gone 5-1 in their home arena, with their only home loss coming against perineal power UNCW. Monmouth is coached by King Rice who is in his 14th season with the program. Rice is the winningest coach in the history of the program.

Monmouth has been one of the better defensive teams in the conference. Both Dok Muordar and Jaret Calencia rank inside the top 10 of the CAA blocks. The duo have combined for a total of 49 blocks this season. Sophomore Adi Bashir Jr. has been the Hawks top scoring threat this season. Bashir Jr. has tallied 497 points which is third most in the nation and first in the conference. The Omaha, Neb. product is also effective at getting to the free throw line and is a lethal free throw shooter. Bashir Jr. is shooting a conference-high 91.4 percent from the charity stripe.

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Players Mentioned

#0 George Beale Jr.: G; 6' 4"; Junior

#12 Tyler Rice: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#23 Dan Banister Jr.: G/F; 6' 6"; Graduate Student

#31 Wayne Bristol Jr.: G; 6' 6"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#0 George Beale Jr.
: 6' 4"; Junior
: G

#12 Tyler Rice
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#23 Dan Banister Jr.
: 6' 6"; Graduate Student
: G/F

#31 Wayne Bristol Jr.
: 6' 6"; Graduate Student
: G

Hampton University Athletics

Schedule

Scoreboard

Hampton Men’s Basketball Resumes Conference Play Against Monmouth

Players Mentioned

#0 George Beale Jr.

#12 Tyler Rice

#23 Dan Banister Jr.

#31 Wayne Bristol Jr.

Players Mentioned

#0 George Beale Jr.

#12 Tyler Rice

#23 Dan Banister Jr.

#31 Wayne Bristol Jr.