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Monmouth first in nation to win regular-season title

Monmouth v North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 28: Head coach King Rice of the Monmouth Hawks huddles with his team after they were called for a pair of technical fouls during the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Dean Smith Center on December 28, 2016 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

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WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) Justin Robinson made 7 3-pointers in scoring 27 points and Monmouth became the first Division-I team in the nation to clinch an outright regular-season title, beating Niagara 93-75.

The Hawks (23-5, 15-2) won their second consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season championship by extending their school-record winning streak to 13. The last time Monmouth won consecutive titles was 2004-05.

Je’lon Hornbeak added four 3-pointers and 16 points and Josh James had his first 10-rebound game. Monmouth made half of its 28 3-point attempts.

Robinson scored 15 points and Hornbeak 10 in the first half when Monmouth took a 54-36 lead.

Kahlil Dukes scored 29 points, Matt Scott and Shane Gatling had 12 each, and Kevin Larkin added 10 for the Purple Eagles (9-19, 6-11), who lost 90-83 in their Jan. 14 game against Monmouth.