NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., November 24, 2019 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team rolled to an 85-53 victory over Harford Community College on Saturday in its final game of the Monroe College Invitational at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 4-2 with the win, while the Fighting Owls drop to 2-5.
 
The Mustangs established their dominance early in Saturday's contest, immediately jumping out to a 13-0 lead, emphatically enforced by a three-pointer and a dunk by Elijah Mitchell. Harford cut the deficit down to five before a 10-0 run by Monroe made it a 25-10 game with 8:02 left in the first half.
 
Soon after, Monroe went on a 12-2 run, pushing the lead all the way out to 25 points at 40-15 with just 1:31 to go in the half. The Fighting Owls chipped away in the final minute, but Ja'Mani Eaton put a stamp on the first half with a three to leave the Mustangs up, 43-22, heading into the break.
 
The Mustangs really broke it open in the first three minutes of the second half. A 17-0 run out of the gate pushed the lead all the way to 38 points at 60-22. The Mustangs held a big lead throughout the remainder of the game, seeing the Fighting Owls only get as close as 23 points with 1:44 left in the game. The Mustangs continued to score and make free throws down the stretch, pushing the lead back to 32 points before the final buzzer.
 
The Mustangs spread the ball around well again in Saturday's contest, with five players in double figures and seven with eight or more points. Mitchell, Julio Pascual and Zion Styles all matched for a team-high 12 points. Mitchell just missed a double-double with a team-leading nine rebounds, leading the way with six assists and three steals as well. Pascual added seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Luis Herrera picked up 11 points and six boards. While Juan Felix Rodriguez totaled 10 points with five boards, four assists and three steals.
 
The Mustangs will hit the road next weekend for the Hagerstown Community College Invitational in Hagerstown, Md. They will begin their weekend on Saturday, Nov. 30, with a 1 p.m. matchup against the host Hawks.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 12 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).