NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., November 19, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team made it a perfect weekend on Sunday, defeating East District foe Allegany College of Maryland, 80-76, to close out the Monroe College Invitational at the Monroe Athletic Complex on Sunday. The Mustangs improve to 4-2 with the win, while the Trojans drop to 6-1 with their first loss.
The Mustangs went into the half in a 36-28 hole, but it took less than five minutes for them to close the gap and jump into the lead. The Trojans had gone back up, 50-48, but the Mustangs went on a 13-2 run to take a nine-point advantage. The lead peaked at 11 points after a
Jawarie Hamelin layup made it a 72-61 game with 3:21 to play.
The Trojans then made a late push to get back into the game, going on an 11-2 run to make it a two-point game with 1:28 on the clock. After
Stefano Faloppa went 1-of-2 from the line, Justin Turner hit a layup for Allegany to make it a one-point game. Hamelin was fouled and made both of his shots, but Lamont Jones scored on Allegany's next possession to make it a one-point game once again with 11 seconds left.
Ziare Wells made 1-of-2 free throws, but the Mustangs then got a takeaway with two seconds left. Faloppa was fouled after the steal, making both chances to close out the game with a four-point win.
Hamelin finished with a team-high 21 points in the win, leading the team with three steals as well while adding eight rebounds. Wells produced a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Albert Vargas also scored 13 and led the team with three assists.
Hassan Washington provided 11 points off the bench to go with six boards.
The Mustangs will rest through Thanksgiving before hitting the road next weekend for the Jim Brown Memorial Classic, hosted by Hagerstown Community College. The Mustangs will get rematches with this weekend's opponents, beginning with Allegany on Saturday, Nov. 25. Tip-off on Saturday is set for 1 p.m.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven 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).
