NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 5, 2020 – The champions of Region XV and Region XX are on a collision course, as the Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team and Hagerstown Community College will go head-to-head this Saturday, March 7, for the East District Championship, with an automatic bid to Hutchinson, Kan., for the 2020 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships on the line.
 
EAST DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION:
When: Saturday, March 7 – 2:00 PM
Where: Monroe Athletic Complex – New Rochelle, NY
Admission: FREE OF CHARGE (Free giveaways for those in attendance)
 
LIVE COVERAGE:
Live Video: https://youtube.com/monroemustangs
Live Stats: https://monroecollegemustangs.com/sidearmstats/mbball
 
HOW WE GOT HERE:
The Mustangs reached the 2020 East District Championship by winning the Region XV Championship Tournament. Monroe opened last week with a semifinal matchup against ASA College on Tuesday. The Mustangs were victorious in that game, 96-73, and advanced to Friday's championship game against Harcum. The region championship game was one for the ages, as it took double overtime to determine a winner. The Mustangs got the final leg-up on the Bears, coming out victorious, 90-87, to claim the region title.
 
Hagerstown entered the Region XX Championship as the tournament's top seed. The two-day, two-game tournament hosted by Allegany College of Maryland saw Allegany defeat Harford Community College, 110-74, in Saturday's semifinal matchup. The Hawks then edged out the Trojans in Sunday's final, 82-78, to take home the Region XX Championship and earn their spot in the district championship game.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY:
As nearby district foes, the Mustangs and Hawks have plenty of history with each other. The two teams have played twice this season, both times back in November. The Mustangs won the first contest in New Rochelle, 78-64, before narrowly edging out the Hawks on their home court, 82-81.
 
Monroe has won 11 of the last 12 matchups between the Mustangs and Hawks, dating back to the 2012-13 season. The last time the Mustangs and Hawks played for the district championship was back on March 10, 2012, when Monroe rolled to an 88-55 victory. Hagerstown defeated the Mustangs on March 7, 2009, in the district championship game by a score of 70-66.
 
MUSTANG LEADERS:
Juan Felix Rodriguez leads the way for Monroe, averaging 18.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game this season. Rodriguez had a huge Region XV Championship Tournament, averaging 27.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the two tournament games. Zion Styles is netting 14.3 points per game. Marcus Thompson is second on the team with an average of 5.6 rebounds per game and leads the Mustangs with a .520 field-goal percentage. Thompson played an instrumental role in the Mustangs' championship victory over Harcum, scoring 22 points to go with a Mustang season-high of 19 rebounds.
Monroe Statistics
 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS:
The Hawks' three leading scorers have spread the ball around well this season. Dwight Felton and Tyrin Hollis are tied at the top with an average of 14.7 points per game, while Rodney Black sits at 14.2 points per game. Black also leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game, while Hollis leads with 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per contest.
Hagerstown Statistics
 
2020 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships:
The 2020 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships will take place in Hutchinson, Kan., at Hutchinson Community College's Hutchinson Sports Arena. The Tournament will run from Monday, March 16, through Saturday, March 21.
For more information, click here.
 
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 Mustangs), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).