WINTER HAVEN, Fla., December 7, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team opened its three-game Florida trip with a matchup at Polk State College on Thursday, dropping a narrow 77-75 final score to the Eagles at the Health Center. The Mustangs fall to 7-3 and see their five-game winning streak come to an end with the loss, while the Eagles improve to 7-4.
Monroe had an early 10-4 edge over the Eagles in the first half, but the home team responded with seven straight points to jump ahead. With the Mustangs down, 18-16, they bounced back with a 7-1 run to take a 25-19 advantage. The two teams continued to go back-and-forth until the Mustangs scored the final four points of the half to take a 38-35 edge into the break.
Polk State came out firing in the second frame, going on an 11-2 run over the first five minutes to take a 46-40 lead. The Eagles pushed the lead to nine with 11:45 to play before Monroe scored six straight to cut the deficit to three. The Mustangs later tied the game when
Albert Vargas drained a three to make it a 55-55 score with 8:58 to play.
The Eagles quickly went back up by five, but the Mustangs kept it within reach and cut the difference back down to one on a couple of occasions. With 1:11 to play, a dunk by Polk State's Dominick Nelson gave the home team a 75-68 advantage. The lead was seven again before
Hassan Washington hit a layup to make it a five-point game with 11 seconds to play. Polk State missed its free throws, and then Vargas came down the court and hit a three to make it just a two-point deficit with seven seconds to go. The Eagles once again missed at the line, but the Mustangs ran out of time before being able to get a shot off, falling by two.
Jawarie Hamelin and Vargas had matching 18-point outings on Friday. Vargas added seven rebounds, six assists and three steals, while shooting 7-of-10 from the field, in a solid all-around effort. Washington came off the bench to lead the team with 19 points and eight boards.
Devere Palmer Jr. and
Ryan Williams Jr. each contributed six points and four rebounds off the bench.
The Mustangs will look to bounce back tomorrow, Dec. 8, when they open play at the FSW Classic against host Florida Southwestern State College at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. Friday's tip-off is set for 7 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).
