NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., December 2, 2017 – In the final contest of the Monroe College Invitational at the Monroe Athletic Complex, the Monroe College men's basketball team dropped a 90-72 decision to No. 2 Northwest Florida State College Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs fall to 6-4 on the year, while the Raiders improve to 12-0.
 
Both teams came out firing, as the first four buckets of the game were all from beyond the arc. Northwest Florida State's Tray Boyd III made back-to-back threes to open the game, but Thomas Binelli and Clifton Tracey responded with a pair of long balls for the Mustangs to tie it up. The Raiders then went on a big run, outscoring the Mustangs, 24-10, to claim a 30-16 lead midway through the half. The Mustangs got within 12 down the stretch, but went into the half in a 40-25 hole.
 
The Mustangs scored the first six points of the second half to get back within nine, but an 8-0 run for the Raiders once again made it a 17-point game. The Mustangs later went on a 7-0 run to draw within eight, and a three by Binelli shortly after got them within seven, but that was as close as the Mustangs would get as they fell to the undefeated Raiders by 18.
 
Tracey led the Mustangs with 16 points on Saturday, while Binelli finished with 15 points. The two of them combined to go 6-of-10 from three-point range. Isaiah Ward came off the bench to score 11 points, adding seven boards and seven assists. Jhery Matos finished with nine points, six rebounds and five steals.
 
The Mustangs will look to bounce back on Tuesday, Dec. 5, when they host Union County College at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, will have six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level beginning in the fall of 2017.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).