MU/Hartford story for Sunday Press

Some notes, etc. that did not make the paper...there were seven ties and 11 lead changes..MU had 21 turnovers and 18 assists..Hartford had 18 assists and 15 turnovers and 13 steals..Hartford shot 6-for-12 from 3 in the first half and 6-for-11 in the second.

Jhamar Youngblood had eight of his 12 points in the second half..he finished with four assists and one turnover

By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER

WEST LONG BRANCH - Dejan Delic watched his three-point attempt swish
through the net as the final buzzer sounded Saturday, then looked
on in dismay.
""I don't know what I felt,'' said Delic.
All the basket did was underline the feeling of frustration of the Monmouth
University men's basketball team which failed to make enough big plays at
both ends of the floor or free thows in the waning moments in a 76-75
non-conference defeat at the
hands of the University of Hartford before 1,734 fans at Boylan Gym.
""It's extremely disappointing,''said Delic who led Monmouth (3-8) with 24
points as the Hawks slumped to 0-2 on their six-game home stand.
""It's reality,'' said Delic. ""We can't lie to anybody. Right now we're
just not tough enough defensively.
""We were just pathetic the last couple of games,''said Delic after the
point total against the Hawks swelled to an average of over 77 points over
the last three games.
""We don't have that swagger, we don't have defensive toughness, we don't
want to hit anybody,'' said Delic.
""We score baskets, that's not a problem. Basic things in basketball are
turnovers and defense, we didn't do it. And make fouls shots.''
Monmouth, which went 6-for-13 from the foul line in the game, was 2-for-7
over the final 8:39.
This after coach Dave Calloway urged the Hawks to "concentrate" from the
line at Friday's practice.
""We work on it every day,'' said Calloway. "You're not beating a lot of
teams when you shoot 46 (percent from the foul line).''
Trailing 72-70 with a chance to tie the score or take the lead a pass by
Monmouth point
guard Mike Shipman, which appeared headed for Jhamar Youngblood under the
basket, was intercepted by Jaret Von Rosenberg of Hartford (4-4)
with 12 seconds left.
From there Hartford closed the door on Monmouth sinking four consecutive
free throws capping a 14-for-19 performance (74 percent) from the stripe.
Monmouth, which led by as many as nine points in the first half and
trailed by six in the second, drew even at 67-67 with 1:19 left
when Marques Alston (10
points) laid home a behind-the back feed
from Youngblood, a play that brought the crowd to its
feet.
But Alston, a 78-percent foul shooter, missed an accompanying free throw
attempt and at the other end senior forward Bo Taylor (21 points, four rebounds)
swirled inside for a tie-
breaking 3-point play and Monmouth (3-8) never caught up.
Though successful from 3-point range (13-for-28) Monmouth appeared
preoccupied with the long ball. It never generated any inside game as 7-2
John Bunch, swarmed and pestered by the smaller visitors, only attemped two
shots in 20 minutes.
It added up to just another in a growing laundry list of problems
confronting the Hawks who dropped their third game in a row.
""I'm concerned about everything,'' said Calloway. ""We are not a good
basketball team in every phase of the game.''
NOTES....With Saturday's Robert Morris loss to Wagner the teams picked No.
1 in the preseason Northeast Conference coaches aoll, Monmouth (0-1 NEC) and 2
Robert Morrris (0-2), have yet to win a league game...Monmouth will next be in action 1 p.m. Sunday in an exhibtion
game against Division III
Richard Stockton College coached by former Long Branch and Rumson-Fair Haven
High School coach Gerry Matthews. The game time was changed from a previously
announced 5
p.m. tip off.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com