NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., November 9, 2019 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team trailed by 16 points midway through the third quarter on Saturday, but the Mustangs battled all the way back, coming out on top to defeat Lackawanna College, 67-64, at the Monroe Athletic Complex to close out the first day of the Monroe Classic. The Mustangs improve to 2-0 with the win, while the Falcons drop to 1-1.
 
The Mustangs had the lead early on in the game, taking a 16-12 advantage into the second quarter. Lackawanna then outscored the Mustangs, 18-7, in the second period to enter halftime with a 30-23 lead.
 
The Falcons opened the third quarter on an 8-2 run to push their lead to 13 at 38-25. The lead reached 16 points when the Falcons took a 45-29 edge with 5:05 remaining in the quarter. A seven-point run late in the third by the Mustangs cut the deficit down to eight at 47-39, but four straight free throws by the Falcons put them back up by 12. A 6-2 run by the Mustangs to close out the third left them trailing by eight at 53-45 heading into the final frame.
 
Lackawanna got the first point of the fourth on a free throw by Kiana Williams, but the Mustangs completely swung the momentum from there, going on a 12-0 run, including six points by ToniRenee Blandford, to put the Mustangs ahead, 57-54, with 4:11 to play. Both teams struggled to score after that, but the Mustangs slowly added to their lead to go up, 63-56.
 
A three by Lackawanna's Briaunna McCullough got the Falcons back within four, but the Mustangs were able to stretch the lead back out to eight with 23 seconds left after numerous trips to the line. Another three for Lackawanna from Kyla Smith got the Falcons within five, and then two free throws by McCullough with five seconds left got the Falcons within three at 67-64. The Mustangs were unable to make their free throws, setting up the Falcons with just 1.5 seconds to try and tie the game. McCullough got off a clean look from the top of the arc, but her shot did not fall, clinching the comeback victory for the Mustangs.
 
Daja Wentz led the Mustangs with 21 points in the win, adding three assists and three rebounds. Cheyenne Talbot finished with 15 points, five boards and two steals. Devon Adams pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds and blocked two shots while adding eight points in the win. Ineysiah Surrell just missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. Blandford finished with six points, six boards and four assists.
 
The Mustangs' comeback was fueled by superior play under the rim, as Monroe outscored Lackawanna, 30-20 in the paint, including a 22-8 advantage in the second half and an 8-0 margin in the fourth quarter. Second-chance points also swung in the favor of Monroe, 17-6. Monroe also capitalized off turnovers with 19 points, while Lackawanna scored just 11 points off its takeaways.
 
The Mustangs will look to make it a perfect first week of the season on Sunday, Nov. 10, when they host Westchester Community College in the final game of the Monroe Classic at the MAC. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. following the day's opening contest between ASA College and Lackawanna.
 
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).