NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 30, 2022 – In a Monroe College inter-campus matchup at the Monroe Athletic Complex, the Monroe Mustangs women's basketball team defeated the Div. III No. 5-ranked Monroe Express, 67-42, Sunday afternoon. The Mustangs improve to 10-12 overall with the win, while the Express fall to 13-7.
The Mustangs locked it down on defense in the first quarter, keeping the Express off the board entirely through 10 minutes. Six different Mustangs scored in the opening frame, leading to a 21-0 lead heading into the second.
The Express started to get into a rhythm in the second quarter, opening the new frame on a 9-5 run. The Mustangs then regained control after a timeout, scoring the next six points to take a 32-9 edge with 3:10 to go. After a couple quiet minutes, the Express scored six straight, but
Olivia Medford made the final shot of the half for the Mustangs to leave them up, 34-15, at the break.
Medford led the court with 11 points and eight rebounds at the break.
Sara Carvajal-Caro played a big role coming off the bench, scoring eight points with three rebounds.
Daja Wentz scored seven with a pair of steals through 20 minutes.
Naomi Barnwell added five points and seven boards.
Carrying over from the end of the first half, the Mustangs finished a 10-0 run to take a 42-15 advantage less than two minutes into the third period. The Express later cut the deficit to 19 after a three by Ramatoulaye Diallo with 2:31 left in the third, but the Mustangs closed out the quarter with its final six points to take a 50-25 advantage into the fourth.
The Express opened the fourth on an 12-4 run to get back with 17 points with 6:26 still left to play in regulation. The Mustangs responded with eight straight to go back up by 25. The teams traded baskets over the final four minutes, resulting in the Mustangs' 67-42 victory.
Medford completed a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win, adding three assists, two steals and a block. Wentz totaled 15 points with three boards, three assists and four steals. Carvajal-Caro finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Barnwell contributed nine points and 10 boards, as well as four steals and four assists.
Amy Sangare added eight points and eight rebounds.
Tanae Arnold had three points, eight boards, four assists and two steals in the win.
The Mustangs outrebounded the Express, 63-35, in Sunday's win. They also dominated from close-range, outscoring the Express, 32-10, in the paint.
The Mustangs will look to turn Sunday's win into a winning streak when they next play on Saturday, Feb. 5. Monroe hosts Hostos Community College at the Monroe Athletic Complex for a 1 p.m. tip-off.
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 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).
