WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) Blake Hamilton scored a game-high 20 points as Monmouth beat St. Francis of New York 77-73 in a Northeast Conference game on Wednesday night.
Dwayne Byfield added a season-high 17 points as the Hawks (7-8, 6-0), while Marques Alston had eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Monmouth trailed 35-34 at the break, but took the lead for good with a 17-3 run in the early minutes of the second half. St. Francis (8-8, 4-3) pulled close with a late 10-2 run, but Monmouth then hit 8-of-11 free throws in the final 1:16 to win their fifth straight game.
Tristan Smith had 18 points for St. Francis, while Tory Cavalieri had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.
