NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 14, 2024 – The seventh straight double-double for
Emma Wilson-Saltos helped lift the Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team to a thrilling 59-57 victory over SUNY Sullivan on Sunday, seeing the Mustangs get a number of big stops in the final minute to hold off the Generals in the final matchup of the Monroe College MLK Classic at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Monroe improves to 10-6 overall with the win, while the Generals fall to 15-3.
Wilson-Saltos took over in the second half of what became a close game, producing 24 points with 12 rebounds to secure her seventh straight double-double and her 11th in 16 games this season. She scored 16 of her 24 points in the final 20 minutes and pulled down seven of her 12 boards in the second half as well, including five second-half offensive rebounds.
The Mustangs and Generals got off to a back-and-forth start until Monroe scored four straight to take a 14-9 advantage. The Generals responded with four in a row of their own, but Wilson-Saltos made the final bucket of the half to take a 16-13 lead into the second quarter.
The Mustangs found a rhythm to open the second, scoring 11 straight points to take a 27-13 advantage on the Generals. Sullivan fired back with eight straight points to cut the deficit to six. Wilson-Saltos then drained a pair of jumpers to make it a double-digit lead for Monroe before three points for the Generals.
Nicole Bencosme was fouled twice in the final minute of the half, making all four of here chance at the line to send the game to halftime with Monroe ahead, 35-24.
Carlota Gomez-Alonso led the Mustangs with 13 points at the half, adding five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Wilson-Saltos totaled eight points with five boards. Bencosme scored six points with a team-high six rebounds.
Shanelle Smith had four points and led the team with four assists.
The Generals came out firing to open the third quarter, going on an 11-2 run to get within two points of the Mustangs. Monroe managed to hold off the Generals with five straight points to go back up by seven. Wilson-Saltos hit a layup with 54 seconds left in the third to hold onto that seven-point lead, but the Generals got a pair of free throws from Shonyae Edmonds in the waning seconds of the period to send the game to the fourth with Monroe ahead, 46-41.
Mei-Lin Calliste hit a layup to get Sullivan back within three to start the fourth, but Smith drained a three for Monroe, and then Wilson-Saltos scored two to stretch the lead back to eight. The Generals turned it around with a 10-2 run, tying the game at 53-53 with 5:18 on the clock.
Wilson-Saltos then took control, scoring the next five points herself to put Monroe back in the lead, but the Generals managed to make it a one-point game again with 15 seconds left. Sullivan had three fouls to give, using all of them to eventually send Smith to the line with 5.8 on the clock. Smith made the back half of her two chances to make it a two-point game. The Generals got their chance to score right before the buzzer, but the Mustangs were able to keep the ball out of the net as time expired to hang on for the two-point victory.
Gomez-Alonso finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the win. Smith came off the bench to contribute 10 points and a team-high five assists. Bencosme and
Alycia Secchiaroli each had six points in the game, pulling down seven and eight rebounds, respectively.
Monroe held a 41-29 edge in rebounds on Sunday to help the Mustangs earn the win. 19 offensive boards led to a 17-6 advantage in second-chance points.
The Mustangs are back at it next Saturday, Jan. 20, when they host Putnam Science Academy at the MAC. 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).
