GAME NOTES: Finally able to get back in the win column following a four-game losing streak, the Fordham Rams will now try to string victories together as they host the Monmouth Hawks in non-conference play at Rose Hill Gym.

Monmouth had lost three games in a row before a random two-game spurt of conference action. The Hawks downed Marist (57-50) and then Iona (92-89) to improve to 2-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play early in the season.

Fordham ended a four-game slide with a narrow 69-67 win over Siena more than a week ago, and the Rams have had significant time to prepare for this clash with yet another MAAC program to end a four-game home stand.

This meeting will be the sixth all-time between Monmouth and Fordham. The Rams own a 3-2 edge in the series, though Monmouth won an 87-78 contest last season at home.

Monmouth was able to outlast Iona in a heated conference rivalry game thanks to 52.4 percent shooting from the floor and four double-digit scorers. Justin Robinson led the charge for Monmouth by netting 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting. He was followed by Deon Jones, who chipped in with 18 points and five rebounds. Max DiLeo scored 12 points, and Andrew Nicholas came off the bench to net 11 in the win. Brice Kofane was one rebound shy of reaching double- digit boards, grabbing nine in the game with six points.

Thanks to the 25-point outburst against Iona for Robinson, he is second to Jones atop the scoring charts for Monmouth, netting 12.1 ppg. Robinson is shooting an impressive 55.6 percent from the floor, and has dished out a team- high 26 assists with another team-high in steals (14). Jones leads the team with a 13.1 ppg mark, adding in 4.6 rpg - an average second to only Kofane's 5.9 per outing average. Nicholas, having not made a start yet this season, is on the cusp of a double-digit scoring total with a 9.9 ppg mark.

Things got a bit scary for Fordham in the second half of its win over Siena. The Rams had a relatively comfortable seven-point advantage at the half after Siena connected on just 28.1 percent of its shots from the floor in the frame. But the Saints made a second-half run that nearly defeated the Rams, who held on to win by two. Eric Paschall scored 19 points to lead the team, but he was followed closely by Antwoine Anderson and Mandell Thomas, who each chipped in with 18 points. Ryan Rhoomes brought down a game-high 17 rebounds in the winning effort.

Paschall has been a bright spot for the Rams early this season, as the freshman guard is netting 19.6 ppg to pace the lineup. Thomas is the only other player with a scoring average in double figures, bringing in a 12.8 ppg mark. As a team, Fordham is scoring 65.0 ppg this season on 38.2 percent shooting, while opponents have been netting 69.8 ppg with a respectable 46.2 shooting percentage. The Rams must pull things together defensively if they want to make a run in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The way Fordham was playing before the Siena win was atrocious. The team didn't score more than 66 points in the four-game losing streak, and the only other win for the team on the season was against New York Institute of Technology. Monmouth may not have the home advantage, but the Hawks have proven to be a dangerous scoring threat from time to time. Against a poor Rams defense, they should be able to duplicate those numbers from the last outing.