NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., November 5, 2022 – The fresh scent of a brand new season got even sweeter on Saturday, as the No. 25-ranked Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team defeated Lackawanna College by a score of 78-56 in Monroe's season opener at the Monroe Athletic Complex as part of the Monroe Invitational. The Mustangs begin the year 1-0, while the Falcons fall to 0-2.
After Lackawanna scored the first points of the game just 25 seconds in, the Mustangs took their first lead just 36 seconds later and never relinquished it. Though the game remained close for a bit, an 8-1 run for Monroe gave the Mustangs a 10-point lead at 16-6 with 3:45 to play in the first. The Mustangs later used a 7-2 run to take a 25-11 lead late in the period, though the Falcons netted the final bucket of the first, sending the game to the second quarter with the Mustangs ahead, 25-13.
Amiyah Edney-Holmes drained a three early in the second to push Monroe's lead to 15 points. The lead later reached 16 when Sara Carvajal-Caro sank a layup to put Monroe ahead, 32-16. The Falcons cut the deficit back down to 11, but the Mustangs went on an 8-2 run to close out the half, with Olivia Medford nailing a jumper before the buzzer, to take a 42-25 edge into the break.
Lackawanna hit a pair of threes to open the scoring in the second half, getting back within 11 points of the Mustangs. Carlota Gomez-Alonso fired back with a three of her own for Monroe, but Lackawanna's Gabrielle Jackson executed a three-point play to once again get within 11. Medford then started a run for the Mustangs with a layup, following shortly after by a three from Paetynn Gray. Aysia Pink followed with another three before Medford put in another layup to go up by 21. Khalia Bryant scored through contact to pick up another three points for Monroe and cap off a 13-0 run that put the Mustangs up, 58-34. The two teams then went back-and-forth for the rest of the quarter, seeing Monroe hold a 63-39 advantage heading to the fourth.
Monroe's lead peaked at 27 points when Naomi Barnwell put one off the glass and in with 6:33 left to play. The Falcons got the difference back down to 20 late in the fourth, but Gomez-Alonso sank a jumper in the final seconds to reach the final of 78-56.
Medford picked right up where she left off last season, as the 2022 NJCAA All-American led all scorers with 19 points in the win, adding five rebounds and four steals. She also shot 7-of-11 (63.6 percent) from the field. Gomez-Alonso was next for Monroe with 11 points to go with five board and two takeaways. Barnwell totaled 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in the game. Bryant led the team with 10 rebounds in the win, narrowly missing her first double-double with eight points. She also led the team with five steals. Tanae Arnold dished out a team-high four assists.
The Mustangs outrebounded their opponents, 57-42, and also held a 36-14 advantage in points in the paint in a dominant effort from in-close. Depth played a big role in the win as well, as Monroe's reserves outscored Lackawanna's, 29-6.
The Monroe Invitational wraps up on Sunday, Nov. 6, with two more matchups at the Monroe Athletic Complex. First, Lackawanna will take on Montgomery College at 12 p.m. The Mustangs will then face off against Union County College, who defeated Montgomery, 89-85, in Saturday's first contest, at 2 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 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 11 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 (
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