WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Two teams with identical ambitions and nearly identical records will meet Sunday when the Drexel Dragons face the Monmouth Hawks in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game at CareFirst Arena.

The matchup, scheduled for March 8, 2026, features a pair of teams battling to secure a winning season, with Drexel entering at 17-15 and Monmouth at 17-14. The game is a quick rematch of a Feb. 12 meeting in Philadelphia, which Monmouth dominated 93-73.

That lopsided result will be fresh in the minds of the Dragons, who have since gone 4-2, including an 84-77 victory over Northeastern on Saturday. In that win, guard Eli Beard led Drexel with 21 points. Beard, a key player to watch, has been inconsistent lately, scoring 21 points against Northeastern after being held to just three points in a loss to Hofstra on March 3.

Monmouth arrives with momentum from an 89-83 road win at Northeastern on March 3, powered by a standout performance from guard Kavion McClain. McClain, the Hawks’ primary catalyst, posted 24 points and 11 assists in that victory. He torched Drexel for 20 points and six assists in just 22 minutes during the February rout.

The head-to-head series this season is split, with Drexel winning 73-51 at Monmouth on Jan. 15 before the Hawks’ emphatic 20-point rebuttal last month. That recent performance gives Monmouth a psychological edge.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Monmouth is projected with a 56.60 percent probability to win. The outcome will likely hinge on which backcourt star exerts greater influence: Drexel’s Eli Beard seeking redemption, or Monmouth’s Kavion McClain aiming to replicate his prior dominance in the series.

Both teams are concluding their regular season schedules, making this a final opportunity to build positive momentum before conference tournament play begins.