WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — Monmouth pulled away in the second half to defeat William & Mary 81-70 in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Thursday night at the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Hawks improved to 8-8 overall, while the Tribe fell to 11-5. Monmouth, which led 37-34 at halftime, outscored William & Mary 44-36 after intermission. Jason Rivera-Torres led the Hawks with 19 points. Andrew Ball added 18 and Cornelius Robinson scored 17. Chase Lowe paced the Tribe with 15 points. Monmouth shot 46.9% from the field and forced 17 turnovers, converting them into 19 points. William & Mary struggled from the free-throw line, making just 7 of 15 attempts. Attendance was 1,124.

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — Jason Rivera-Torres scored 19 points and Monmouth used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from William & Mary for an 81-70 victory in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Thursday night at the Multipurpose Activity Center. The Hawks, who evened their overall record at 8-8 and improved to 2-1 in conference play, outscored the Tribe 44-36 after halftime. William & Mary, which entered the game with an 11-4 record, fell to 1-2 in the CAA. The game was a contest of contrasting efficiencies. Monmouth scored its 81 points on just 70 possessions, a sharp offensive rating of 115.6, while William & Mary managed only 70 points on 75 trips, an offensive rating of 93.2. The Hawks’ ability to capitalize on mistakes was a key factor, converting 19 points off 17 Tribe turnovers while committing only 10 turnovers themselves. The first half was a tightly contested affair, featuring 10 lead changes and five ties. Monmouth took a narrow 37-34 lead into the break behind 12 points from Justin Ray, who hit three first-half 3-pointers. William & Mary kept pace largely through interior play, scoring 20 of its 34 first-half points in the paint, with Chase Lowe and Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi combining for 15 points. The turning point came early in the second half. After William & Mary’s Cade Haskins opened the scoring with a three-point play to tie the game at 37, Monmouth embarked on a 15-4 run over the next four and a half minutes. The spurt was fueled by defensive pressure and balanced scoring. Rivera-Torres ignited the run with a 3-pointer, Cornelius Robinson added a layup, and Andrew Ball capped it with a free throw to give the Hawks a 52-41 lead with 15:40 remaining. William & Mary never recovered. The Tribe struggled to find consistent offense, shooting just 7 for 24 from 3-point range and a damaging 7 for 15 from the free-throw line for the game. Every time the visitors threatened to cut the deficit to single digits, Monmouth had an answer, often from Rivera-Torres or Robinson. Rivera-Torres, a 6-foot-7 guard from the Bronx, New York, led all scorers and added four assists and three blocks in 35 minutes. Robinson, a 6-6 forward from Willingboro, New Jersey, provided 17 points and nine rebounds. Ball, from Marlton, New Jersey, contributed 18 points, including two crucial 3-pointers during the Hawks’ first-half efforts to stay ahead. Monmouth’s ball movement and defense were superior, finishing with 10 assists to William & Mary’s six and 10 steals to the Tribe’s six. Jack Collins, though scoring only eight points, orchestrated the offense with a game-high seven assists and added three steals. For William & Mary, Lowe led the way with 15 points in 25 minutes. Vahlberg Fasasi, from Stockholm, Sweden, scored 13, and Reese Miller added 11. The Tribe’s offense, which had been averaging over 82 points per game, was held to its second-lowest output of the season. The most critical sequence of the game solidified Monmouth’s control. Leading 66-62 with just over six minutes left, the Hawks strung together seven consecutive points. A driving layup by Rivera-Torres was followed by a steal from the same player, leading to a fast-break layup for Andrew Ball. After a William & Mary turnover, Rivera-Torres was fouled and made a free throw, extending the lead to 73-62 with 3:40 to play, effectively sealing the outcome. William & Mary, which had won three of its last four, will look to rebound quickly on the road at Drexel on Saturday. Monmouth, building momentum after a win at Towson last weekend, travels to face Hofstra, also on Saturday. The announced attendance was 1,124.

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (Interstat) — A surging William & Mary squad looks to rebound from its first conference loss when it visits a struggling Monmouth team in Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball action on Thursday night. The Tribe (11-4) saw a four-game winning streak snapped with a 79-88 road loss at College of Charleston on Monday. They now face a Hawks team (7-8) that is coming off a strong defensive road win but has lost four of its last six. The matchup features two of the league’s top individual talents. William & Mary is led by guard Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi, who is averaging 18.8 points over his last four games. He scored 20 in the loss to Charleston. Monmouth will counter with versatile forward Jason RiveraTorres, who is coming off a 21-point, 4-assist effort in a 62-48 win at Towson and has recorded a double-double this season. William & Mary’s offense has been potent, averaging 82.1 points per game. Alongside Vahlberg Fasasi, Chase Lowe (14 points vs. Charleston) and Kilian Brockhoff (16 points vs. Charleston) provide scoring depth. The Tribe’s early season success includes notable non-conference road wins at Duquesne and UTEP. Monmouth has relied on a tougher defense, holding opponents to 68.9 points per game. The Hawks’ win over Towson, where they allowed just 48 points, showcased that potential. However, consistency has been an issue, with three of their eight losses coming by single digits, including a 65-68 home loss to Campbell last week. This game opens a critical two-game road swing for William & Mary, which plays at Drexel on Saturday. Monmouth begins a stretch of three home games in four contests, seeking to climb back to .500 in league play. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST at the Multipurpose Activity Center.