GAME NOTES: Following a home-opening win over Bethune-Cookman Friday, the Monmouth Hawks will battle the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in the second leg of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic at the Multipurpose Activity Center Saturday.

Central Connecticut has dropped all three of its contests this season, with the most recent being Friday's 58-49 defeat at the hands of Towson. The Blue Devils haven't scored more than 63 points in a game this season, and the team's scoring numbers are on a decline.

Monmouth was able to make quick work of Bethune-Cookman in Friday's contest, as the host Hawks downed the Wildcats, 73-50. It was just the second game of the season for Monmouth, after the team dropped a 10-point decision to WVU to start the new campaign.

This meeting between CCSU and Monmouth will represent the 33rd time the teams have clashed on the floor. The all-time series is very close, but slightly favors Monmouth, 17-15.

Central Connecticut State didn't exactly have the best shooting day in the loss to Towson on Friday. The Blue Devils only made 34 percent of their shots from the floor, and could only connect on half (9-of-18) of their free-throw attempts. Khalen Cumberlander and Matt Mobley each scored 14 points to lead the team, while Brandon Peel reeled off 10 points and 13 rebounds for the double-double. But there wasn't much production elsewhere for the Blue Devils, who turned the ball over 21 times and scored fewer than 50 points in a game for the first time all season.

Although the team is averaging a bleak 56.3 ppg offensively, Mobley has been a bright spot in the offense, averaging a team-high 22.7 ppg through three contests. Mobley is only shooting 38 percent from the floor, but someone has to take the shots, and it seems the sophomore is already comfortable being the go-to scorer. Cumberlander is the only other player on CCSU with a double- digit scoring average, checking in with an 11.3 ppg mark headed into the clash with Monmouth. The Blue Devils will need to cut down on the 74.0 ppg allowed to opponents if they want to be successful.

Only one player for Monmouth scored in double figures Friday night - Deon Jones, who netted 14 points with six rebounds in the team's win. The Hawks got plenty of contribution from all over the lineup, as Andrew Nicholas, Zac Tillman and Josh James each netted eight points. Justin Robinson scored seven and dished out a team-best six assists in the lopsided victory for the Hawks, who shot an impressive 54.3 percent from the floor. Monmouth made it to the free-throw line 30 times in the game, and sunk 19 of those attempts.

In just two games played, only one player is averaging a scoring total in double figures. That player is Jones, who checks in with a 14.0 ppg average entering the contest against CCSU. Nicholas isn't too far off the pace with 9.0 ppg, and a handful of Monmouth players are right there in the thick of the scoring. Brice Kofane leads the team in rebounding with 5.5 rpg, while Robinson has a team-best eight assists in two games played.

The Hawks need to find some other sources of scoring other than Jones moving forward, but that won't be necessary for this game. The Blue Devils won't be able to match whatever the Hawks put up.