Robinson's heroics seal Monmouth win on Senior Night

WEST LONG BRANCH -- It stands to reason that Monmouth University doesn't want to play another home game.

A standing-room only crowd of 4,172 showed up at OceanFirst Bank Center on Friday night, partially to watch a game against Siena College, but also to pay respect to seven seniors, who comprise the winningest class in school history. After the Hawks registered a 77-73 win to move to 13-1 at home and 24-3 over the last two seasons, much of the crowd stayed for Senior Night festivities, celebrating a group of kids leaving this program in far better shape than which they found it.

Monmouth seniors flourished in school as well as basketball

"Everybody believed in Coach (King) Rice and he believed in us, so that allowed us to propel this program in the right direction," said Justin Robinson's whose step-back jumper and two free throws inside the final 13 seconds helped the Hawks to their 15th straight win. "We have high-level kids committing here and signing here to come play, so I want to see this program keep going in the right direction. Coach Rice is bringing in the right kids and he's got the right people on the coaching staff."

There are no more scheduled home games, but there could be at least one more if the Hawks (25-5, 17-2 MAAC) end up in the NIT. If they end up in the NIT, that means they lost in the MAAC Tournament, which means there was no NCAA Tournament berth for a mid-major program that probably deserved one at some point based on eye test alone.

Monmouth's Hornbeak, fellow seniors meshed well

No one wants that because Friday turned out right with a win, followed by an outpouring of love. Anything beyond this, postseason or not, would feel manufactured.

Siena (14-16, 11-8 MAAC), which folded over the final 10 minutes in giving up 102 points to Monmouth in the first meeting between the teams on Feb. 13, didn't make things easy. A slew of ties and lead changes, not to mention missed shots by the Hawks, brought the game to the under-4 media timeout. With every possession critical in front a tournament-type atmosphere, Monmouth made the late-game plays that produce wins.

Leading, 71-69, with the ball out of a timeout with 40.7 seconds left, Siena was content to let Robinson milk the shot clock down. The MAAC Player of the Year favorite dribbled inside the 3-point line, stepped back, created space and buried a jumper for a 4-point lead with 12.5 seconds left. Nico Clareth cut the deficit in half with a layup, but Robinson hit two free throws, giving him 20 points in his final home game to seal the win.

Monmouth overwhelms Fairfield for 14th straight win

"It feels right, but it's not an ending," Robinson said. "This is another notch on the belt, and now we're focused on Sunday (at Iona), going up and getting that win."

"There's a lot of trust in our group, and these guys trust me," Rice said. "We've been saying one game a time, nothing else matters. They're an older group, they know how we get down, and we've stuck to that. That's why it's cool when I hear Justin say something like that, because that's what we've been talking about. They're as bought in and ready as we've ever had in a team."

Monmouth not changing approach with top seed secured

Robinson's layup among the trees out of the final media timeout gave the Hawks a 71-67 lead with 2:48 left. James drew a charge down the other end, then Je'lon Hornbeak (13 points, 4-of-7 FGs) drove the lane, stopped on a dime and dropped a floater in from close range to extend the lead to six at the 1:57 mark.

The 15th lead change of the night came on two Diago Quinn free throws with 6:02 to play, and a rise out of the crowd. Quinn then challenged, and altered a Clareth layup attempt down the other end before the Hawks rushed the ball up the floor. Robinson, bottled up for much of the night, got into the lane, double-pumped in the air and finished on a reverse for a 67-64 lead.

Monmouth to be part of Nassau Coliseum tripleheader

As first reported by Gannett New Jersey and later announced by the MAAC on Friday afternoon, the league will hold a tripleheader at the renovated Nassau Coliseum on Jan. 27, 2018, of which Monmouth will be a part of.

The Hawks will face Marist. Fairfield and Quinnipiac will also play, in addition to Iona and Manhattan, which comprise the league's preeminent rivalry. Gannett New Jersey learned on Friday morning that there is a two-year deal in place for the tripleheader, which means all six teams will give up one home game. Home and away assignments for the 2018 games will be determined at a later date.

One reason for the MAAC's decision to play three games on Long Island is to find out whether or not fans will watch them there. The Coliseum, which will reopen for business for a Billy Joel concert on April 5, has long been bandied about as a future MAAC Tournament destination. The league announced on June 3 it was extending its deal with Siena's home, Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., through 2019,

At that time, it was revealed that the MAAC's 11 Presidents told league commissioner Rich Ensor they want a review of MAAC basketball, which would include the future of the MAAC Tournament and potentially moving it closer to the Metropolitan area.

Staff writer Josh Newman: jnewman@app.com