New Rochelle, N.Y. – When the Monroe College Women's Basketball team hosted Monroe Community College earlier this year, the Mustangs squeaked out a one-point victory. In the rematch on Saturday, a strong third quarter lifted Monroe to a comfortable 66-55 triumph over the Tribunes.
 
Cristina Soriano and Lisana Burnett opened scoring to put the team up, 4-0. The Tribunes scored the next six to lead 6-4. From there, the Mustangs used an 8-0 run to grab a 12-6 advantage. Soriano, Jessica DeGree, Camilla Kilinc, and Shania Johnson all had a bucket in the scoring spree. Monroe led 16-13 after a quarter.
 
The Mustangs got the lead up to eight points in the second quarter, when Kilinc made a layup at the 3:41 mark. Monroe Community erased nearly the entire deficit, getting the score back to 31-30 at the break.
 
The third quarter really decided the game for the Mustangs. They used a 9-2 run in the first two minutes of the third quarter to grab a 40-32 lead. Johnson scored five of those points, Burnett made a three-point, and Soriano totaled two. As a team, Monroe turned up the defensive pressure and held the Tribunes without a point in the final 2:53 of the quarter.
 
DeGree scored the final four points of the game for Monroe, and her bucket at 1:19 in the fourth gave the team its largest lead of the game at 12 points. The Mustangs prevailed, 66-55.
 
Three Mustangs finished in double figures in scoring, led by Johnson with 14 points. Soriano had a dozen points on 6-of-7 shooting, while Burnett had ten with five steals. The team improved to 13-5 with the win. They will face ASA College in New Rochelle on Tuesday evening.