MELBOURNE, Fla., December 31, 2018 – The Monroe Mustangs men's basketball team took the lead with just over 12 minutes left in the first half and never looked back in Monday's 100-82 victory over Miami Dade College as part of the Josh Artis Memorial Classic, hosted by Eastern Florida State College. The Mustangs improve to 11-4 overall on the season with the win, while the Sharks drop to 5-12.
 
After some back-and-forth play early in the game, a free throw by Ebrima Jassey Demba at the 12:37 mark of the first half put the Mustangs ahead for good in Monday's New Year's Eve matchup. The Sharks kept the deficit in single digits for much of the half, but a three by Thomas Binelli with 2:34 to play in the half pushed Monroe's lead to 10. The lead grew to as many as 12 points in the opening frame before a three by Miami Dade's Montese Blake left the Mustangs up, 53-44, heading into the break.
 
Juan Felix Rodriguez led the Mustangs with a solid 15 points in the opening half, adding three rebounds and three assists. Binelli was close behind with 13 rebounds, while both Mustangs drained a trio of three-pointers each. Elijah Mitchell helped out with a team-high five assists, contributing five points and four boards as well.
 
The Sharks rallied to get back within three at the 16:09 mark, but that was as close as they got throughout the rest of the contest. An 8-2 run for Monroe made it a nine-point game once again, and another seven straight points shortly after pushed the lead to 14. Monroe's lead grew to as many as 23 points with just 3:13 to play in the game. The Mustangs reached the century mark on a dunk by Daniel Cabassa with just 14 seconds remaining, helping the Mustangs hang on for the 18-point win.
 
Rodriguez finished up with 22 points, six boards and five assists to lead the Mustangs to victory on New Year's Eve. Zion Styles netted 16 second-half points to finish with 17 for the day. Binelli and Will Martinez matched with 13 points, while Mitchell added nine points, six rebounds and a team-high eight assists. Deng Bol Yol had an impressive game, scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds in just 16 minutes off the bench, going 4-for-4 from the field in the process.
 
The Mustangs shot 58.7 percent (37-of-63) from the field in the win, while holding the Sharks to just 37.8 percent shooting. Monroe also made 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) chances from three-point range, as well as 17-of-22 free-throw attempts.
 
The Mustangs take a 3-0 record into the final day of their trip to Florida, a New Year's Day contest against host, and 25th-ranked Eastern Florida State College. Tip-off on Tuesday is scheduled 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).