ROCKVILLE, Md., December 16, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team took the lead early in the first quarter and never looked back in a 59-42 victory over Nassau Community College on Saturday to open the weekend at the Montgomery College Holiday Tournament. The Mustangs improve to 6-5 overall with the win, while the Lions fall to 6-4.
The Mustangs got a trio of big games to fuel Saturday's victory over Nassau.
Shanelle Smith set a new season-high, leading all players with 23 points on the afternoon.
Emma Wilson-Saltos earned her sixth double-double, and her third in four games, with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the game.
Nicole Bencosme joined Wilson-Saltos with 11 points and 11 boards for her first double-double of the season.
Nassau jumped ahead, 9-6, with 6:11 left in the first quarter. Five straight points by Smith put the Mustangs ahead, but a jumper by Nassau's Aiyana Hamilton tied the game. Wilson-Saltos got on the board with a layup while getting fouled, making the free throw for a three-point play.
Sharon Brown then hit another layup with 20 seconds left to give the Mustangs a 16-11 edge heading to the second.
The Lions scored the first four points of the new frame, but the Mustangs fended them off to keep them from tying it up. Monroe took full control of the game from there, scoring 16 straight points to take a 32-15 advantage with just 2:54 left in the half. Nassau got just four more points in the second quarter, sending the game to the half with Monroe on top, 35-19.
Smith set the tone in the second half, opening the third with back-to-back twos to give Monroe a 20-point lead. The lead peaked at 22 points when Wilson-Saltos hit a layup that made it a 43-21 score early in the third. The two teams went back-and-forth for much of the third, with the Lions gaining very little ground throughout the period to make it a 49-31 lead for Monroe going to the fourth.
The Lions scored the first five points of the fourth to make it a 13-point game, but a three-point play by Smith halted their run. A jumper by Smith with 3:07 to play made it a 17-point lead for the Mustangs.
Ariana Manforte got to close out the game with its final two points to give Monroe a 17-point victory.
The Mustangs outrebounded the Lions, 47-28. They controlled the paint with a 30-18 advantage in points in the paint.
The Mustangs close out the 2023 portion of their schedule tomorrow, Nov. 17, when they take on host Montgomery College to wrap up their trip to the Montgomery Holiday Tournament. Sunday's tip-off is set for 3 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 (
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