VALHALLA, N.Y., January 25, 2024 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team picked up its eighth straight victory on Thursday after taking a short trip up to Westchester Community College, defeating the Vikings by the score of 93-68. The Mustangs improve to 17-5 overall with Thursday's win.
Westchester was able to keep up with the Mustangs early on in Thursday's matchup, taking a 15-10 lead with 13:24 on the clock in the first half. Monroe scored the next nine points to jump ahead, and then went on a 14-1 run to grab a more comfortable 33-19 advantage over the Vikings later in the half. Westchester was able to make it an eight-point game with 1:20 to go before the break, but the Mustangs pushed their lead back to 13 on a three-point play by
Zatai Townsend. Westchester's Wyatt Triestman then matched Townsend with a three-point play of his own to close out the half, leaving Monroe up, 38-28, heading into halftime.
Ziare Wells had 10 points at the half to lead the Mustangs, adding three rebounds and three steals as well.
Stefano Faloppa totaled eight points with a team-high six boards.
Albert Vargas had two points, three rebounds, three steals and a team-best four assists through 20 minutes.
The Mustangs pulled away early in the second stanza, outscoring the Vikings, 14-4, to make it a 20-point game fewer than five minutes into the new period. The Vikings were able to make it a 15-point game just moments later, but the Mustangs stayed in rhythm, eventually pulling out to a 30-point lead at 69-39 with just over 10 minutes to play. Monroe never allowed Westchester to gain any momentum, maintaining a sizable lead before closing things out with a 25-point advantage through the final buzzer.
Wells led the team with 16 points in the win to go with five rebounds.
Hassan Washington just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Devere Palmer Jr. matched his 12 points and grabbed seven boards. Townsend had nine points in the game. Vargas finished with seven points, seven assists and seven steals. Each of
Ryan Williams Jr.,
Pedro Szuldman and
Jaheim Gregory also tallied seven points in the game, with Williams finishing second on the team with five assists.
The Mustangs outrebounded the Vikings, 55-43, while winning the turnover battle, 25-16. The Mustangs were dominant in the paint, outscoring Westchester, 62-26, from in the color. Depth also played a big role in Thursday's outcome, with Monroe's bench scoring 41 points compared to just 16 for Westchester's reserves.
The Mustangs will defend their winning streak next Thursday, Feb. 1, when they hit the road to take on Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa. Thursday's matchup is set to begin at 7 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).
