NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 14, 2024 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team pushed its winning streak to six straight games on Saturday, as Monroe rolled to a 90-61 victory over Erie Community College on the final day of the Monroe College MLK Classic at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 15-5 overall and 9-0 at home with the win, while the Kats drop to 10-6.
Zatai Townsend got things going quickly for the Mustangs with four straight points in the first minute, and then a 5-0 run produced by
Devere Palmer Jr. a few minutes later had Monroe on top of Erie, 11-5. The Kats swung the momentum in their favor with a pair of threes to tie the game, turning that into a 14-3 run to take a 19-14 lead on the Mustangs. After a pair of
Hassan Washington free throws,
Stefano Faloppa drained a three to tie the game at 23-23 with 10:27 left in the half.
Erie jumped back ahead for a moment, but the Mustangs responded with nine straight points to go up, 32-25. Erie later got back within a point late in the frame, but the Mustangs went on a 14-2 run over the final 3:29 of the half, taking a 51-38 advantage into the break.
Townsend and Palmer had 10 points apiece at the half to lead the team.
Ziare Wells was right behind with nine points, leading the team with five rebounds.
Albert Vargas contributed five points, five assists and two steals.
A'Mag Tate opened the second half with a three for Erie, but the Mustangs came right back with six straight points to push the lead to 16 points. A pair of jumpers by Vargas and Faloppa made it 19-point edge for the Mustangs with 15:09 on the clock. Another six-point run for the Mustangs a few moments later made it a 20-point advantage for Monroe with 11:17 left to play.
The fouls started to build up on both sides in the latter half of the second frame, seeing the Mustangs and Kats go to the free-throw line back-and-forth. The Mustangs did not allow the Kats to get into a rhythm because of the slower pace of the game. A late 12-0 run for the Mustangs pushed the lead all the way to 30 points, with a free throw by the Kats in the final seconds resulting in the final score of 90-61.
Five Mustangs reached double figures on Sunday, with Faloppa and Townsend leading the way with 15 points apiece. Wells completed a double-double with 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Palmer and
Hassan Washington each had 11 points in the win, pulling down seven and six rebounds, respectively. Vargas and
Manuel Peral each finished with nine points apiece.
The Mustangs are back in action next Sunday, Jan. 21, when they host CCBC Dundalk at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Sunday's tip-off is set for 2 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).
