WEST CHESTER, Pa., February 25, 2022 – The 2022 NJCAA Region 15/19 Championship game came down to the final minutes on Friday, but No. 9 Harcum College came out on top with a late run, 87-74, over the Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team at West Chester University's Hollinger Field House. Harcum will now advance to the East District Championship against the champion from Region 20, while the Mustangs' season comes to a close.
The Mustangs got off to a quick start, taking an 8-2 lead with six points coming from
Hamdel Mohammed in the first two minutes. The Mustangs later took a 20-13 lead after a jumper from
Keith Warren Jr., but the Bears caught fire, going on a 15-0 run to take a 28-20 advantage with 8:52 left in the half. The Mustangs turned things around from there, going on a 14-2 run to jump back on top, 34-30. The Bears scored the next four, but
Nikola Danicic got a good roll on a jumper to put Monroe back in the lead.
The Bears managed to go back up, 38-37, but
Tyje Kelton hit a layup to take the lead back. Yazid Powell went to the line for Harcum with three seconds left. He made the first shot, but after missing the second, he corralled the rebound himself and put it back up and in at the buzzer to leave Harcum up, 41-39, at the half.
Mohammed led the Mustangs with 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks through 20 minutes.
Melvin Council Jr. had nine points and two steals. Kelton added seven points and three boards.
The Mustangs got hot early in the second half. After Harcum went up, 50-46, the Mustang turned things around with a 13-2 run, taking a 59-52 lead with 12:52 to play. Harcum pushed back to get within three at 63-60, but Kelton scored two straight jumpers to make it a seven-point game again. The Bears responded with a 10-2 run to jump back ahead, 70-69.
Isac Ahnstrand responded with a jumper to put Monroe back up by one, but Mohamed Wague hit two from the free-throw line to put the Bears back ahead by a point. Ahnstrand then got to the line, but made 1-of-2 to tie the game at 72-72. Powell made a pair of free throws for the Bears, but Ahnstrand followed with a layup to tie the game again. Louis Bleechmore then hit a three for the Bears to make it a 77-74 game. Powell then went 1-of-2 from the line to take a four-point lead, and then Powell hit a three on the next possession to put the home team up by seven with 1:37 to go in regulation. The Mustangs were forced to foul from that point on, but it was not enough to get back in the game, as Harcum claimed the 87-74 victory and the Region 15/19 Championship.
Kelton played a great game for the Mustangs, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. Council totaled 15 points and five steals. Ahnstrand and Mohammed each scored 14 points, while Mohammed led the team with eight boards and four blocks.
A big difference in the game were chances at the free-throw line, as the Bears made 26-of-39 chances, compared to the Mustangs' 5-of-10. The Mustangs held a 27-13 edge in takeaways, leading to a 32-17 edge in points off turnovers. Monroe also held a 44-40 advantage in points in the paint.
The Mustangs finish the 2021-22 campaign with a 25-7 overall record in their return to action after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Head Coach
Jeff Brustad concludes his 19th season at Monroe with a 499-137 overall record. Monroe's
Melvin Council Jr. was named the 2022 Region 15 Player of the Year, and was joined by
Hamdel Mohammed and
Tyje Kelton on the Region 15 All-Region First Team, while
Braelon Joe earned the Region 15 Sportsmanship Award.
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).
