NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 13, 2024 – After falling behind by twelve points early in the first half on Saturday, the Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team turned things around to get back into the game, using a big second half to pull away from Niagara County Community College for a 99-82 victory to close out Day 1 of the Monroe College MLK Classic at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 14-5 overall with their fifth straight win, while the Thunderwolves drop to 13-7.
After a close start that saw the visitors take a 10-9 lead, the Thunderwolves caught fire with a 13-2 run that put them up, 23-11, with 11:42 left in the half. The Mustangs turned things around to completely erase the deficit, with a pair of momentum-shifting threes by
Ryan Williams Jr. and
Albert Vargas fueling a 13-0 run for Monroe to put the home team up, 24-23. With the score tied late in the half, Niagara County scored four straight to once again take the lead.
Hassan Washington executed a three-point play to get back within one, but Niagara County's Julian Cunningham hit a jumper to keep the Thunderwolves ahead. Washington got back to the line and made two to get within one, and after a Mustangs stop, Washington dunked off an offensive board to put Monroe ahead, 39-38. Jaral Farmer then laid one in for the Thunderwolves, but
Zatai Townsend was fouled and made both for Monroe to take the lead with 49 seconds left. Niagara County's Bobby Beilein then hit a three for the final basket of the half, leaving the visitors on top, 43-41.
Vargas and
Devere Palmer Jr. led the Mustangs with nine points apiece at the half, with Palmer leading the team with seven rebounds. Washington totaled seven points with five boards.
A back-and-forth start to the second half saw the Thunderwolves hold an early 53-51 lead. The Mustangs then got back-to-back long balls by Vargas and Townsend to jump ahead, with a layup by
Stefano Faloppa capping off an 8-0 run to take a 59-53 lead. After a pair of free throws by Beilein for the Thunderwolves, the Mustangs stayed in rhythm, scored another seven in a row to push the lead to 66-55. Moments later, a dunk by Washington and then a three the next time down the court by
Ziare Wells had Monroe on top, 71-57, with 13:02 remaining.
The Thunderwolves made a push to get back into the game with seven straight points, cutting the deficit to seven. The Mustangs bounced right back with the next seven points to make it a 78-64 game with 8:12 on the clock. After a free throw by the Thunderwolves, the Mustangs made it a 12-1 run with another five points to take a comfortable 83-65 advantage with just 6:35 to go. The Mustangs never let the Thunderwolves get back into the game, rolling down the stretch to pick up the 17-point victory.
Vargas led Monroe with 21 points after draining 6-of-7 threes in the game. He also tied for the team lead with six assists and pulled down five rebounds. Washington registered his first double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in the win. Faloppa netted 12 of his 14 points in the second half, finishing with six rebounds as well. Wells totaled 13 points with eight boards and six assists. Townsend also scored 13 points in the game. Palmer was close to a double-double with eight points and nine boards.
Monroe had a 48-32 edge in rebounds in the win, and outscored the Thunderwolves in the paint, 46-16. The Mustangs shot 53.6 percent (37-of-69) from the field in the win, and made 72.7 percent of their threes in the second half to finish the game with a 52.4 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
The Mustangs close out their weekend at the MLK Classic tomorrow, Jan. 14, when they take on Erie Community College. Sunday's tip-off is set for 4 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).
