GARDEN CITY, N.Y., February 7, 2023 –
Sara Carvajal-Caro and
Khalia Bryant both manufactured impressive double-doubles in the Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team's 89-58 victory at Nassau Community College on Tuesday. The Mustangs improve to 14-12 with the win, while the Lions drop to 10-10.
Tuesday proved to be a career day for Carvajal-Caro, who scored a career-best 24 points to lead the Mustangs in the win, doing so on an efficient 9-of-10 shooting from the field. Her 10 rebounds completed the double-double, her third of the season. Bryant led the team and matched her season-high of 17 rebounds while scoring 15 points for her fifth double-double of the year. Bryant also had two blocked shots in the win.
The Mustangs rushed out to a 13-4 advantage nearly six minutes into Tuesday's contest. After the Lions scored five to get within four, the Mustangs rattled off nine straight, all of which coming from
Olivia Medford and
Amiyah Edney-Holmes, for a big 24-9 advantage. Nassau's Ashley Vigliotti hit a three in the final seconds to leave Monroe up, 24-12, after one.
Carvajal-Caro and Medford each made a layup in the first minute of the second stanza to make it a 16-point game. The Lions later cut the deficit down to 10 at 30-20, but the Mustangs remained in control with an 11-2 run that had them. Up, 41-22. With that same deficit, Mia Cheatham hit a three at the buzzer for Nassau to cut Monroe's lead to 45-29 at the break.
The Mustangs scored the first seven points of the second half to push the lead to 23. The advantage hit 30 when Edney-Holmes sank a jumper with 5:11 left in the third. Later in the quarter,
Aysia Pink's three stretched Monroe's lead to 35 points, and a free throw by
Emma Wilson-Saltos with 31 seconds left sent the game to the fourth with Monroe up by 36 at 75-39.
Monroe's lead peaked at 39 points when Carvajal-Caro scored two to make it an 82-43 game with 5:58 to play. The Mustangs took their foot off the gas from there, allowing the Lions to get as close as 28 points in the final minute before a three-point play by Carvajal-Caro with just 11 seconds left secured the 31-point victory.
In addition to Carvajal-Caro and Bryant's big games, Medford finished with 17 points and seven assists in the win. Wilson-Saltos just missed joining the double-double party, totaling nine points with 11 rebounds. Edney-Holmes was right there as well with nine points and a Mustang season-high of nine assists.
The Mustangs held a definitive 62-30 advantage in rebounds on Tuesday. They also shot 53.6 percent (37-of-69) from the field, while holding the Lions to just 28.8 percent (21-of-73) shooting.
The Mustangs are back on the road this Thursday, Feb. 9, when they visit SUNY Sullivan in Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
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 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 11 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).
