Watch: Monmouth walk-on scores first career points, bench goes wild

Iona coach Tim Cluess said the members of the Monmouth bench are “not basketball players,” but walk-on sophomore Daniel Pillari had seven points in Monday’s win over Siena.

Monmouth walk-on Daniel Pillari proved Iona head coach Tim Cluess wrong on Monday. 

After the Hawks’ win over Iona on Friday, Cluess said “I’ve never seen them on the court doing anything, so to me they’re not basketball players.”

But Pillari scored seven points late in Monmouth’s blowout win over Siena on Monday, much to the delight of the other members of the bench. 

• GARDNER: Monmouth hoops making noise on court & on sidelines​

Pillari hit two threes and a free throw, the first points of his college career. He’s seen limited action in 10 of the team’s 18 games this season after playing a total of 10 minutes in 12 games last year. 

- Dan Gartland