Miller’s career night not enough as Monmouth falls to Hofstra

Walker Miller’s 26 points led Monmouth, but Hawks came up short Wednesday against Hofstra. (Photo by Monmouth University Athletics)

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — King Rice, never one to mince words and always one to give the proper credit where due, stuck with what brought him to the dance Wednesday night, even if his team had stretches where it did not resemble itself.

The Hawks took an early initiative in their non-conference finale against Hofstra, opening up a 9-3 lead, but a 21-5 spurt by the visitors flipped the script for the remainder of the night, as Monmouth squandered a career-best 26 points from Walker Miller in a 77-71 defeat at the hands of the Pride.

“I want to give Hofstra all the credit in the world,” a succinct Rice stated as the Pride, four days removed from a signature victory against a Top 25 outfit in Arkansas, torched the nets in the first half with eight 3-pointers to build a cushion as large as 18 points. “I feel like Jalen Ray’s been beating me since I was 20 years old. That kid can really play. They’re just a really hard guard because they have so many guys that can space you. They came in with a great plan, they knocked us way back and made us look like we haven’t looked all season, and that’s a credit to them. They just straight beat us today.”

“We thought we had a great plan for this game. Here’s the thing: Hofstra played harder than Monmouth. When another team plays harder than you, they’re going to win. Then you’ve got to be a dude and try to make them play. They did that to us, and we didn’t do it to them.”

On an evening where George Papas was stymied by Omar Silverio’s defense en route to a 2-for-11 shooting display and Shavar Reynolds labored for every opportunity he received, Monmouth (10-3) needed contributions from another of its more experienced pieces. The help came from Miller, the North Carolina transfer who posted an efficient 9-of-12 line, and even demonstrated his pick-and-pop potential by stepping behind the arc to drain three of his four 3-point attempts.

“I’m really proud of Walker,” Rice gushed. “He’s one of the best dudes in our league and at this level. Whatever league, he’s one of the best big men, and he’s showing that night in and night out. He’s just starting to get his confidence.”

Unfortunately for Monmouth, Hofstra’s confidence entered Wednesday’s contest at a marked high and showed little sign of dropoff throughout the night. Even as the Pride (8-5) allowed the Hawks to creep back within earshot, it counterpunched strong when needed to dispel the fear of a potential letdown from a whirlwind weekend.

“To come in here and beat them on their home court was a tremendous win for our program,” Hofstra head coach Speedy Claxton declared. “We didn’t want to come in here and have a letdown. This team could have easily looked down at their opponent because it wasn’t a high-major.”

“That last game going into the break is always tough. You never if your guys have one foot out the door, but we stressed to them to be in the moment and not think about home until after the game. And to their credit, they did that.”

Both Hofstra and Monmouth now shift their sights toward conference play, with the Pride traveling to William & Mary and Elon for its Colonial Athletic Association opening swing, while the Hawks return to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action on New Year’s Eve with a matinee against Marist and a positive outlook amid a game that Rice admits was tougher given its place on the slate as the finale before the holiday break.

“We’re in a great place, and we still are,” he reassured. “When we put the schedule out and you look at all the games, this was the worst-scheduled game, but credit to Hofstra and Speedy. I love competing against dudes that are as good as him. You’ve got to take your Ls sometimes, so if I have to lose one, I’ll take that one.”