Hagerstown, MD – The No. 23 Monroe University men's basketball team extended its win streak to six games with a 73-61 victory over Hagerstown Community College on Saturday as a part of the Jim Brown Memorial Classic.
The Mustangs, who defeated the Hawks back on November 14, entered the second half trailing by six. But a 40-22 run to close out the contest put them in position for a crucial win against the host team.
Sophomore
Devere Palmer Jr. led the way with 23 points on 13 made free throws. Freshman
Eric Mejia tallied 16 points across a team-high 38 minutes, while sophomore
Jordan Sanders, who broke out in a big way the last time Monroe took on Hagerstown, added 11 points of his own.
The Mustangs fell behind early and were never able to gain control in the first 20 minutes. Hagerstown led by as much as 12 in the first half as Monroe never took the lead across the opening half.
A dunk from sophomore
Ryan Williams Jr. with 4:12 gone by gave the Mustangs their first lead of the contest, but the Hawks would remain in play and tie the game at 54 with just over ten minutes remaining.
However, a 19-7 run to finish was the difference maker in another physical matchup between the two foes. Free throws were the catalyst as the Mustangs converted on 11 chances at the line over the course of their run.
Another dunk from Williams Jr. was followed by a layup from sophomore
Hassan Washington, giving the Mustangs an eight-point lead with 2:23 to go. Palmer Jr. drilled two additional free throws to push the lead to double-digits with 1:28 left, helping Monroe secure the win.
The Hawks shot just 22.2% from the field in the second half as Monroe's defense showed resilience down the stretch.
The Mustangs will conclude their two-game weekend with a rematch against Allegany College of Maryland on Sunday at 1:00 pm. Last time out, the Mustangs defeated the Trojans, 89-69.
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).
