NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 30, 2022 – The Monroe College inter-campus showdown between the Monroe Mustangs and the Monroe Express went the way of the Mustangs on Sunday, as the home team picked up a 95-63 victory at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 19-5 overall with the win, while the Express fall to 15-7.
The Express got the early jump on the Mustangs in Sunday's contest, storming out of the gates to take a 10-5 lead. The Mustangs got back within a point, but the Express kept their rhythm, taking a 26-18 edge with 7:20 on the clock. The Mustangs then turned things around in a big way. They drew a bunch of fouls and made six of their chances to get within two. A three by Jabnel Cordero put the Express back up by five, but it was all Mustangs the rest of the half. The Mustangs went on a 19-2 run over the final 4:12 of the half, taking a 43-31 advantage and all the momentum into the break.
Melvin Council Jr. scored 15 points after going 4-of-6 from three-point range in the first half, adding a team-high five rebounds.
Hamdel Mohammed matched Councils five rebounds off the bench, adding 10 points and three steals as well to give the Mustangs a big boost.
The Mustangs kept their momentum in the second half, going on a quick 10-0 run early in the frame to go up, 53-33.
Isac Ahnstrand scored 14 points over the first 6:10 of the second half to contribute to a huge lead for the Mustangs. Four straight points late in the second half by
Braelon Joe pushed the Mustangs' lead to 36 points, helping them hang on for the 32-point victory.
Council led all scorers with 26 points in the win, adding eight rebounds and five steals. Ahnstrand's 14 in the second half gave him 19 for the evening to go with six boards. Mohammed finished with 12 off the bench, while the Mustangs spread the ball around in the second half of the game.
Brandon Hodge came off the bench as well to score eigiht points with three assists.
The Mustangs won the rebound battle, 48-34. The Mustangs also shot 48.4 percent (31-of-64) from the field, while holding the Express to 34.8 percent (24-of-69) shooting.
The Mustangs will look to improve upon their five-game winning streak on Thursday, Feb. 3, when they host ASA College in a newly rescheduled contest at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Tip-off is currently set for 8 p.m.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 14 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 Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (
@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (
@monroemustangs).
