NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 7, 2024 – Fueled by a pair of huge games from
Carlota Gomez-Alonso and
Emma Wilson-Saltos, the Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team picked up a tough 64-53 victory over Nassau Community College on Sunday to close out the Monroe College Men's and Women's Mixer at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 8-6 with the win, while the Lions fall to 8-6.
Gomez-Alonso was sinking shots left-and-right on Sunday, finishing with a game-high 29 points in the win. She added nine rebounds and three steals to her huge night. Wilson-Saltos registered her ninth double-double of the season and her fifth in a row with an incredible 17-point, 20-rebound performance on Sunday. She also led the team with four assists and matched Gomez-Alonso with three steals.
A tight, defensive battle ensued right from the jump in Sunday's contest, as both teams ended up locked up at 5-5 through the first five minutes of the game. As the teams traded points, a three by Gomez-Alonso with 1:35 left in the first put Monroe up, 12-11, but the Lions scored the final three points of the opening frame to take a 14-12 advantage into the second.
After Nassau's Mia Cheatham opened the second quarter with a three, the Mustangs turned things around with a 9-2 run to jump ahead, 21-19. After Cheatham tied the game up for the Lions, Mustangs went on an 11-2 run across the final 4:05 of the half, taking a 32-23 advantage into halftime.
Gomez-Alonso led Monroe with 12 points at the break, adding six rebounds as well. Wilson-Saltos already secured a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds through 20 minutes.
Nicole Bencosme added six points and a team-high two assists.
Things got off to a slow start in the second half, as Nassau scored the first points of the third quarter with 7:40 on the clock. The Lions opened the third with seven straight points to make it a two-point game, but Gomez-Alonso drained another three to keep Monroe on top. The Lions later used a 5-0 run to jump ahead by one, but a jumper by
Alycia Secchiaroli and another long ball by Gomez-Alonso pushed Monroe back up by four. With 1:26 left in the third, Gomez-Alonso sank another trey to push the lead to six, and then Secchiaroli closed out the frame with one more jumper to leave Monroe on top, 46-38, heading to the fourth.
The Mustangs and Lions went back-and-forth to start the fourth, seeing the Mustangs hang on to a 52-43 advantage with 6:03 to play. Gomez-Alonso hit yet another three-pointer to make it a 12-point game with 5:07 remaining. The lead reached 14 points after a pair of free throws by Wilson-Saltos, but the Lions scored the next four to get within 10 with just 1:45 to go.
Ga'Nyia Miller got on the board with a layup to go back up by 12, but the Lions got a layup by Aiyana Hamilton to make it 10 points once again. With both teams getting to the line down the stretch, the Mustangs held on for the 11-point win.
In addition to Gomez-Alonso and Wilson-Saltos' big nights, Bencosme finished with eight points and five boards in the win. Secchiaroli added six points and eight rebounds.
The Mustangs get Monday off before returning to action on Tuesday, Jan. 9, when they host Raritan Valley Community College at the MAC. Tuesday's 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 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).
