BOLIVIA, N.C., December 16, 2022 – A calendar-ending trip to North Carolina proved fruitful for the No. 15-ranked Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team, as the Mustangs completed a perfect three-game weekend at the Brunswick Community College Holiday Classic with a 96-80 victory over Cape Fear Community College Sunday afternoon. Monroe's third straight win pushes the Mustangs to 13-2 overall, while the Sea Devils drop to 5-8.
With the Mustangs holding on to a two-point lead early in the opening half, eight straight points for Monroe made it a 16-6 game. A pair of threes for the Sea Devils later tied the game up at 22-22 with 8:36 on the clock. The Mustangs were able to pull back out to an eight-point lead late in the half, but Cape Fear scored the next five to get within three again.
Keith Warren Jr. scored on a layup to close out the half with a 43-38 score in favor of the Mustangs.
Melvin Council Jr. got his day off to a big start with 17 points and four rebounds at the half.
Emmanuel Ogbole tallied nine points and five boards.
Hamdel Mohammed added seven points as well.
Some clutch shooting by Warren, including a trio of threes, in the first few minutes of the second half helped the Mustangs take a 59-45 lead with 16:06 on the clock. The Sea Devils were able to get back within eight, but a three by Council halted Cape Fear's momentum. The Sea Devils were back within nine with just over four minutes to play, but the Mustangs put up the next six points for an 89-74 advantage with 3:37 to play. The Mustangs scored another seven straight in the final 2:26 to push the lead to 18 points, leading to the 16-point win.
Council finished with 27 points in the win, adding 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Warren netted 20 points, including four three-pointers. Mohammed added 17 points and six boards off the bench. Ogbole totaled 13 points and six rebounds.
Ziare Wells contributed six points and six boards, while
Jawarie Hamelin had a team-high five assists.
The Mustangs shot 52.1 percent (38-of-73) from the field in the win. The Mustangs outscored the Sea Devils in the paint, 54-26, and held a 28-14 edge in points off turnovers. Monroe held a 41-33 edge in rebounds.
The Mustangs have completed the 2022 portion of their schedule at 13-2 overall. They will get back to work in the New Year, beginning with the Monroe College Men's and Women's Mixer at the Monroe Athletic Complex. They will open that tournament on Saturday, Jan. 7, against Monroe Community College at 6 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 (
Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (
@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (
@monroemustangs).
