WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Xander Rice scored 29 points and the Monmouth (9-6, 2-0) shot 53% as a team to run past the Northeastern men's basketball team (5-10, 0-2) on Monday night at OceanFirst Bank Center, 81-62.
 
The Huskies were held to a 20-of-58 (34%) night overall and shot 31% from three, with Harold Woods leading three players in double figures with 16 points on 5-of-7 from the field. He was joined by Masai Troutman (13 points) and Chris Doherty (11 points, seven rebounds).
 
Rice was the story of the night, though, going for 24 in the first half alone before finishing 11-of-12 overall and 5-of-5 from long range for a Hawks team that finished 31-of-58 overall and outscored Northeastern 36-18 in the paint. 
 
Northeastern started the night hot, hitting four of its first seven shots and using a 12-2 run to lead by as many as eight just six minutes into the game, 12-4.
 
Rice got cooking, though, going for 24 points on 9-of-10 from the field (4-of-4 from three) to help the Hawks quickly erase the gap and go on a 19-2 run over 4:10 to lead by 16 with four minutes until the break, 35-19. 
 
The Huskies hung in there, though, with Woods scoring eight straight for the visitors to lead NU on an 11-3 run to close the deficit to 11 at recess, 44-33. Northeastern 12-of-29 overall and 6-of-17 from deep in the opening 20 minutes. Monmouth finished the half shooting 48% as a team.
 
Monmouth steadily increased its advantage over the first 10 minutes of the second half, using a 12-2 run to go up by more than 20, holding the Huskies without a field goal for more than eight minutes in the process.
 
The Huskies will return home for its next two games, beginning on Thursday night against Hofstra. Tip-off at Matthews Arena is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.