Monmouth rolls over Manhattan, 78-62, as Walker Miller hits for 19, Marcus McClary 18

WEST LONG BRANCH – The dog days of MAAC play are upon us. And Monmouth showed Sunday it’s up for the grind.

After a first-half slugfest with Manhattan, the Hawks pushed it into high gear, opening up a 21-point lead midway through the second half en route to a 78-62 victory at OceanFirst Bank Center.

To offset a 22-point performance by Manhattan’s Jose Perez, the Hawks had five players in double-figures, led by center Walker Miller’s 19 points. Marcus McClary added 18 points, while Shavar Reynolds chipped in with 12. George Papas finished with 12 points, while forward Nikkei Rutty had a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Monmouth finished with a season-high 18 assists, with Papas and McClary dishing out four apiece.

“I’ve always felt like we have guys who can score at every position," Monmouth coach King Rice said. "Nobody can guard us if we share the ball."

Monmouth (12-6, 4-3) has now won two straight, after a four-game skid that included a 23-day COVID-19 pause. The win snaps a two-game home losing streak, with the Hawks hosting Canisius Friday (7 p.m.) in the second game of a four-game homestand.

"After that pause, we didn’t look like ourselves," Rice said.

"Now we’re starting to at least look like a team again. Once we’re ourselves I think we have one of the best teams and we’re going to give it a run and see how it goes down the stretch."

Manhattan (10-6, 3-4) got 11 points from Nick Brennan and 10 points from Samir Stewart off the bench.

Second half surge

After a scoreless first 20 minutes, Reynolds took charge early in the second half. The graduate transfer guard from Seton Hall scored 10 points in less than six minutes, giving Monmouth a 49-35 lead with a 12-foot jumper off a feed from Papas. Monmouth took a 56-41 lead on a Miller 3-pointer, before a pair of Reynolds free throws pushed the lead to 16 points.

A long Papas 3-pointer gave Monmouth a 61-42 at the 10:46 mark, before a Jarvis Vaughan free throw pushed the advantage to 20 points. It was Reynolds making a steal and feeding McClary for a dunk giving Monmouth its biggest lead at 21 points with 6:10 to play.

Monmouth turned in a dominating performance on the glass, holding a 48-32 edge in rebounds, led by Rutty's career-high.

"The more we’re on the board the more chance we have to win," said the 6-8 senior. "This game I made more of an emphasis to box out and keep the guy off so that if I don’t get it somebody else gets it.”

After Perez, a transsnfer from Marquette, scored 14 first-half points, he got just eight in the second half, playing only eight minutes as the Jaspers played their second game in less than 48 hours.

“Perez is a hell of a player," McClary said. "The whole scout was an emphasis on him. He's crafty and he knows how to use his body. It was a team effort to try to slow him down a little bit more."

Added Rice: "We didn't stop him. I think he just got tired because they ask him to do so much."

Led start to finish

Monmouth came out playing solid defense, holding Manhattan without a point for nearly four minutes. A pair of Rutty dunks within a 34 second span, the first off a lob pass in transition from Papas, put Monmouth on top, 8-4.

McClary took the game over during a two-minute stretch, beginning with a corner 3-pointer that put Monmouth up 14-7. After Myles Foster scored on a spin move inside, it was McClary draining another triple, before leading the fast break moments later and feeding Miller for an easy score to push the lead to 21-15.

After McClary’s strong defense forced a Nelson miss along the baseline, it was McClary laying it in at the other end to cap the fast break and put Monmouth up 29-21 with 5:32 to play.

Monmouth’s lead swelled to 10 points on a Miller dunk, before an 8-2 run by the Jasper, including 3-pointers by Nick Brennen and Elijah Buchanan.

Why Monmouth basketball needs Jarvis Vaughan. Plus, 3 keys vs. Manhattan in MAAC clash

WEST LONG BRANCH - When Jarvis Vaughan drained a three-pointer from the left shoulder with 6:34 remaining in the first half against Fairfield Thursday night, the Monmouth bench went wild inside Webster Bank Arena.

The moment was a long time coming for the 6-9 redshirt sophomore.

It was Vaughan’s first points in 11 months. And his 13 minutes on the court were the most he’s played in more than a year. So when he hit the shot just 38 seconds after entering the game, it was an important moment for both the Hawks and a player whose career has been derailed by injuries.

“Jarvis is such a major part of our team,” coach King Rice said. “He’s our toughest kid, by far. He brings a different level of edginess and sometimes he’ll get a little wild and scare some folks. We need all of that. People do that to us all the time. They’ve always got somebody coming at us.

“Jarvis is like Je’lon (Hornbeak) was for us, and when you have someone like Jarvis and Je’lon on your team that calms the other team down a little bit with that extra bumping and hitting. So that is who Jarvis is and he is very skilled offensively. He kills us with those shots in practice.”

Vaughan, who finished with five points and two rebounds in a 61-58 win, could play an even bigger role when Monmouth (11-6, 3-3) hosts Manhattan (10-5, 3-3) at OceanFirst Bank Center Sunday (2 p.m./ESPN+) in a key MAAC showdown.

Related: Monmouth moving to Colonial Athletic Association; why bolting MAAC, Big South makes sense | Edelson

“Jarvis’ energy is unmatched,” center Walker Miller said. “What he brings to us is an element that we need at times and that is the element of energy, enthusiasm, effort and the ability to make shots. He made a couple of big ones.

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"I am so happy for him to be able to get back on the court because it has been a long time for him. He has had a struggle of a college career with injuries and things he can’t control.”

Vaughan’s emergence gives the Hawks a solid nine-man rotation, which will be important as a long season grinds on. And it beefs up their front court, which had been outrebounded four straight games before winning the battle on the glass against Fairfield.

And when the Fairfield game was on the line, with Stags needing a three-pointer to tie the game in the final 14 seconds, Vaughan was on the court with George Papas, Shavar Reynolds, Marcus McClary and Myles Ruth.

Here are three keys for Monmouth against Manhattan:

1. Home cooking

After playing five of its first six MAAC games on the road, Monmouth now has four straight home games. The Hawks must take advantage of the homestand to remain in position for what’s shaping up as a wild scramble to land one of the five first-round byes at the MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City.

While Monmouth has played very well at home over the past three seasons, they’ve dropped two straight, including Tuesday's dramatic 86-85 overtime loss to Iona.

2. Handle the heat

Manhattan coach Steve Masiello’s pressure defense takes opponents out of their comfort zone, while forcing a ton of turnover. Monmouth’s ability to break the press, and either score easy baskets or get into its offensive sets will be critical.

Monmouth was bothered by Saint Peter’s pressure back on Jan. 14, with the Peacocks scoring 18 points off turnovers in building a 12-point second-half advantage. But the Hawks looked much sharper against Iona, turning it over just seven times.

3. Share the ball

Monmouth had 12 assists against Fairfield. That’s more than the Hawks had in any of their three straight losses after coming out of a 23-day COVID-19 pause.

The Hawks are their best when they’re sharing the ball. You see it in some of their best wins this season, like the 15 assists at Cincinnati.

Check back later Sunday for complete coverage of Monmouth's clash with Manhattan.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth NJ rolls over Manhattan, 78-62, as Walker Miller hits for 19