FORT MYERS, Fla., December 8, 2023 – In its first matchup at the FSW Classic, the Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team was unable to defeat host Florida Southwestern State College, falling to the Buccaneers, 83-69, Friday evening at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. The Mustangs fall to 7-4 with the loss, while the Buccaneers improve to 6-3.
After holding an early advantage, the Mustangs later fell behind, 20-19, with 6:21 left in the first half. Monroe rallied to outscore the Bucs, 16-4, to jump ahead, 35-24. The Mustangs then took a 37-28 lead into halftime.
The Mustangs had the momentum early in the second half, scoring the first six points of the new frame to take a 43-28 advantage. The home team responded by going on a 14-2 run, cutting the deficit to just three points with 15:08 still left on the clock. FSW's Makeer Makeer later hit a three to put the home team on top, 49-48. After the Mustangs hit a free throw, the Bucs scored the next eight points to take a 57-49 lead. The Mustangs cut the deficit back down to four, but the Buccaneers took control back to eventually take a 72-57 edge with 4:42 to play. Monroe was unfortunately unable to make a big push down the stretch, falling to the Bucs, 32-69.
Ziare Wells led the Mustangs with 20 points in the game, adding seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
Stefano Faloppa was next with 13 points and six boards.
Albert Vargas tallied 12 points, while
Hassan Washington came off the bench to contribute 12 points of his own.
The Mustangs will look to close out their weekend in Florida with a win tomorrow, Dec. 9, when they take on Miami Dade College in their final matchup at the FSW Classic. Saturday's tip-off 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).
