WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Jonathan Kasibabu just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds while Neftali Alvarez also reached double figures with 11 points as the Fairfield University men's basketball team fell to Monmouth University by a 74-57 score at OceanFirst Bank Center.

                Monmouth's long-range shooting ability was apparent from the onset, netting a pair of three pointers to secure a 6-0 lead just 90 seconds into the half. The Stags found their footing defensively after those baskets and shut down the Hawks for the next three minutes. Off its defensive play, Fairfield was able to score nine of the next 10 points to take its first lead of the game, 9-7, after Felix Lemetti's three pointer at the 15:10 mark.

                The Hawks posted the next four points to take a brief two-point lead before Landon Taliaferro made good on his first three-point attempt of the night, tilting the score back in the Stags' favor at 12-11 with 13:33 on the clock. The Hawks put together their own scoring spurt with an 8-2 run that nearly reclaimed their opening lead at 19-14. The Stags fell behind by as many as eight points during the opening 20 minutes and managed to clip one point off that deficit by the half, 38-31.

                The Fairfield freshmen tandem of Lemetti and Neftali Alvarez helped Fairfield make an early run after halftime as the duo combined for the first eight Stag points. Alvarez was responsible for five of those points while Lemetti added another three pointer, a run which brought the team as close as it would get in the second half at 43-39 just three minutes into the half.

                Monmouth's lead quickly reached double digits when the home team tallied eight consecutive points including back-to-back three pointers from Deion Hammond. The sophomore guard spent most of the first half on the bench with three fouls but took full advantage of his playing time after halftime. Hammond scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half with 11 of those markers coming in a three-minute span.

                After Monmouth's lead hit 14 points, Fairfield showed some life with a 7-0 run that cut the deficit in half, 53-46, with 13 minutes remaining in the game. The run started with a three-point field goal from Calvin Whipple which was followed by a dunk from Kasibabu and a layup from Aidas Kavaliauskas, a fast-break basket started with the junior's steal.

                Fairfield was still within eight points with 10 minutes left, trailing 58-50 after Kevin Senghore-Peterson posted a layup, his first points of the season. The Hawks put the game out of reach with a 9-2 run that pushed the lead to 67-52 with six minutes remaining.

                Jesus Cruz enjoyed another solid game on the boards with seven caroms, giving the guard 38 rebounds in his last five games. Lemetti finished the game with nine points while Landon Taliaferro added eight points, including a pair of three-point field goals.

                Ray Salnave led all Monmouth scorers with 17 points, followed closely by Hammond's 16 points.

                Fairfield will return home for its next game, a Saturday afternoon match up with Canisius College at Alumni Hall. The game is scheduled for a 1 pm tip.