Monmouth defeats Lehigh 76-62

Lehigh Falls Short at Monmouth, 76-62

The Monmouth Hawks dominated their home court at the OceanFirst Bank Center on Tuesday evening, defeating the visiting Lehigh Mountain Hawks 76-62 in a non-conference matchup.

Monmouth's home crowd was electric from the start, as the Hawks built an early lead that they wouldn't relinquish. The team came out firing on all cylinders, connecting on 31 of 60 field goal attempts (52.0%) and hitting 23 of 47 two-pointers (48.9%). They also sank eight of 13 three-pointers (62.0%), including a trio of first-half threes to push the lead out to 18 points.

Lehigh, on the other hand, struggled to find its rhythm behind the arc. The Mountain Hawks made just 10 of 28 three-point attempts (36.0%) and committed 20 turnovers, which allowed Monmouth to limit their scoring opportunities.

Despite trailing by as few as eight points midway through the second half, Lehigh could not mount a comeback. The team's free throw shooting was equally ineffectual, with just two successful makes out of four attempts (50.0%).

Monmouth's balanced offense was led by 22 points from senior forward, Tyler Semmler, who also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. Sophomore guard, Justin Glatt, added 17 points and seven steals for the Hawks.

Lehigh's offense was paced by junior guard, Darian Daugherty, who scored 15 points and distributed three assists. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the team's poor shooting and turnover issues.

The final margin of 14 points marked one of the largest in the game, with Monmouth holding a significant advantage in rebounding (31-30) and turnovers (14-20).

In a matchup between two non-ranked teams, the victory at home for Monmouth serves as a statement win for the Hawks' program.