BALTIMORE, Md., December 1, 2018 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team's seven-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday, as the Mustangs fell to Chesapeake College, 74-71, in a tight contest on the second day of the Baltimore City Community College Charm City Classic. The Mustangs fall to 7-2 on the season, while Skipjacks improve to 7-1.
 
After trailing 6-4 from the jump, Monroe went on a 9-0 run to take a 13-6 lead with 5:47 left in the first quarter. The Skipjacks came back to take a 16-15 lead, but Aneisha Lyons drained a three to put Monroe back up by two. Lyons later made a layup with 12 seconds left in the period, giving Monroe a 21-17 lead heading into the second.
 
The Skipjacks caught fire to start the second frame, scoring the first 12 points to take a 29-21 advantage. Five straight points got Monroe back within three, but Chesapeake managed to take a nine-point lead with 1:44 left in the half. Lyons scored five in a row for the Mustangs to get back within four, but a free throw by Chesapeake's Jahnaya Peterson before the end of the half sent the game into the break with a 38-33 score in favor of the Skipjacks.
 
Phyness Baldwin netted the first four points of the second half to get the Mustangs within a point. Lyons then got herself to the line, where she made the first of two chances to tie the game up at 38-38. The teams traded baskets back-and-forth, reaching a 48-48 stalemate before Peterson made a three for Chesapeake. Destiny Jennings got to the charity stripe and made the back end of two shots, and then India Keene scored after a steal by Shanice Graves to tie the game again at 51-51. Both teams had chances at the free-throw line, leaving the Mustangs ahead, 54-53, before Devon Adams laid one in with 41 seconds left to give Monroe a 56-53 lead. Baldwin then got to the line one more time with six seconds left, making the second shot to give the Mustangs a 57-53 edge heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Chesapeake opened the fourth with four points to tie the game up. The two teams continuously went back-and-forth over the next seven minutes, seeing the game reach a 67-67 tie with 2:20 to play. The game of foul shots continued, as Peterson made one at 2:06 and another at 1:45 for Chesapeake to give the Skipjacks a 69-67 lead. Baldwin then returned to the line, making one shot to cut the deficit to one.
 
Kelly Cavanagh made the second of two free-throw opportunities with 49 seconds remaining to give Chesapeake a two-point lead. After the Mustangs failed to score the next time down the court, Se'ri Miles banked in a layup for the Skipjacks to put them up, 72-68, with 28 seconds on the clock. Graves managed to get Monroe back within two with a quick layup six seconds later.
 
After a stop, Baldwin drew a foul and got to the line for Monroe. She made just the second shot, making it a one-point game with 15 seconds left. Peterson then went to the line immediately after, making just her second shot to leave Chesapeake up by two. Monroe was unable to score the next time down the court, and Peterson once again made just 1-of-2 foul shots to make it a three-point game with nine seconds to go. Monroe was then unable to get a clean shot off, causing them to fall by three as the final buzzer sounded.
 
Lyons led the Mustangs with a season-high 26 points on Saturday, adding six rebounds and four assists. Phyness Baldwin registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Graves added 13 points, five steals, six rebounds and four assists. Adams netted 10 points to go with seven boards and two blocks.
 
Monroe will look to start a new winning streak on Sunday, when they close out their weekend in Baltimore with a matchup against Baltimore City. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 27 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
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).