Box Score Monmouth put on a strong second-half rally, but couldn’t get over the hump, falling at Central 96-82.
Central went on a 17-7 run in the first half to take a 47-30 lead at halftime before the Scots caught fire in the second half. After shooting just 35 percent over the first 20 minutes, Monmouth drained 21 of their 41 second half shots and chipped away. Trailing by 15 with 5:28 to play, the Scots’ pressure and up tempo began to take its toll on the Dutch. Wes DeClercq’s 3-pointer with 3:24 left began a barrage of four straight Monmouth buckets to trim the deficit to seven at 86-79. The Dutch then hit all six of their free throws in the final two minutes to preserve the win.
Kenny Foster’s 25 points led all scorers. Mike DeDecker chipped in with 12 as a dozen Scots saw action in the opener.