NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., February 22, 2022 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team is heading back to the NJCAA Div. I Region 15/19 Championship game after defeating ASA College, 67-55, Tuesday evening in the Region Semifinals at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 25-6 overall on the year, while the Avengers finish the season 12-10.
The game got off to a slow start, but the Mustangs managed to take an 8-3 lead just shy of seven minutes into the first half.
Melvin Council Jr. got hot from long-range, as four straight baskets for the Mustangs were threes by Council, eventually putting Monroe up, 22-15. The Avengers got back within four with 3:52 to play, but only made one more bucket the rest of the half.
Tyje Kelton put the Mustangs back up by six, but Israel Yaw made a jumper for ASA to get the visitors back within four. With time about to expire, Council found
Braelon Joe in the corner for a buzzer-beating three, leaving the Mustangs up, 32-25, at the half.
Council led all scorers at the break with 14 points, adding four rebounds to a solid first half. Kelton picked up eight points, while
Hamdel Mohammed led the team with five boards and two blocks.
Both teams traded points back-and-forth to open the second half, seeing the Mustangs hold a 36-30 edge over the Avengers before a timeout with 15:14 on the clock. A three by Council sparked a 13-4 run that put the Mustangs on top, 49-34, with 11:35 to play. The Mustangs continued to keep their distance, with a three-point play by
David Gordon keeping them up, 54-39, with 6:59 left in regulation. A four-point run with three minutes left had the Mustangs up by 16 before the Avengers scored the next five. Monroe continued to keep the game out of reach with free throws down the stretch, hanging on for the 12-point victory to advance to the championship game.
Council dropped 31 points in the win, adding six rebounds and three steals. Kelton finished with 12 points and five boards, as well as two steals and a blocked shot.
Keith Warren Jr. tallied seven points off the bench and led the team with five assists.
The Mustangs are now set to take on No. 9-ranked Harcum College in the Region 15/19 Championship game. The date, time and location for the game will be announced shortly. Check MonroeCollegeMustangs.com and follow the Mustangs on social media for the latest updates.
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).
