Warwick, RI – The No. 21 Monroe University women's basketball team opened its season with a wire-to-wire 84-51 win over Massasoit Community College on Saturday afternoon as a part of the Community College of Rhode Island Tournament.
The freshmen trio of
Kaylyn Lelie,
Morgan Marshall and
Carlota Lopez led the way offensively, scoring 18, 14 and 11 points, respectively. Lelie was an efficient 8-for-11 from the floor to help pace the Mustangs offensively, while Lopez led the team from the charity stripe, going 5-for-6.
Monroe dominated in its season opener against Massasoit, outpacing the Warriors 56-20 in points in the paint. The Mustangs managed just two three-pointers on eight attempts on the day, but shot over 50% from inside the arc.
The Mustangs opened the game on a 12-3 run, but allowed the Warriors to close the gap and make it a 16-9 game by the end of the first quarter. What was the difference maker was a domiant second quarter, which saw the Monroe defense prevail.
A 24-7 quarter saw the Mustangs snag 19 rebounds, including eight offensive boards. Sophomore
Alycia Secchiaroli snagged seven boards in the quarter, three of which being on the offensive end.
The visitors kept their foot on the gas in the third period, with Lelie shooting a perfect 3-for-3 across six minutes of action. Freshman
Ariel Walker contributed six points and four rebounds during the quarter.
A final period of outscoring the Warriors led to the lopsided final tally, with Lopez adding nine points.
The Mustangs will next play the hosts of the tournament, the Community College of Rhode Island, on Sunday at 3:00 pm.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as the Monroe University 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.MonroeUMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).
