NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 11, 2018 – Fueled by double-doubles for Cristina Soriano and Lisana Burnett, the Monroe College women's basketball team picked up an 83-70 victory over Lackawanna College on Thursday at the Monroe Athletic Complex in the Mustangs' first home game in over a month. Monroe improves to 9-7 overall with the win, while Lackawanna drops to 13-2.
 
Soriano came close to a triple-double on Thursday, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, adding three blocks in an impressive effort. Burnett had a big game as well, scoring 13 points to go with 12 rebounds. Burnett also dished out five assists, stole the ball five times and blocked a pair of shots.
 
Early back-and-forth play in the first quarter saw the Falcons take an 11-7 lead by the 6:11 mark. Amani Williams and Phyness Baldwin both made threes on each of the Mustangs next two possessions to give them a 13-12 advantage, and then Mercy Amechi and Shanice Graves added another pair of baskets to make it a 17-12 game. The Mustangs kept the same lead through the rest of the quarter, going to the second with a 24-19 edge.
 
The Mustangs galloped out to a 15-point lead early in the second frame after completing a 12-point run through the first two minutes. Five straight points later in the period gave Monroe a 45-27 lead. Two late buckets by Amechi and Lisana Burnett capped off a strong quarter for the Mustangs, leaving them up, 49-33, heading into the half.
 
Lackawanna opened the third with a three-point play, but Monroe fired back with a pair of threes by Graves and Burnett. Williams later drained a three to push Monroe's lead to 20 points. Both teams went back-and-forth for the rest of the period, resulting in a 65-49 lead for the Mustangs heading into the fourth.
 
The Falcons scored eight of the first 10 points of the period to cut the deficit to just 10 points with 7:30 left in regulation. A five-point run later in the quarter pushed Monroe's lead back to 16, but a 7-0 run for the Falcons made it a nine-point game with two minutes to play. The Mustangs held strong through the final buzzer, going on a 6-0 run before Lackawanna's final basket to claim a 13-point win at home.
 
Williams led all scorers in the win, finishing with 18 points and matching Soriano for a game-high seven assists. Graves added 16 points off the bench. Jessica Degree added six points, six boards and two blocks. Baldwin contributed eight points and handed out four assists. The Mustangs shot 43.1 percent from the floor on Thursday while holding their opponents to 35.8 percent.
 
Monroe gets back to work quickly, as the Mustangs head to Bryn Mawr, Pa. on Friday, Jan. 12, to take on Harcum College. Tip-off is slated for 6 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, has six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level as of the fall 2017 season.
 
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).