Daytona Beach, FL – Behind 20-point outings from freshman
Eric Mejia and sophomore
Ryan Williams Jr., the No. 25 Monroe University men's basketball team concluded its four-game slate in Florida with a 92-80 victory over Hillsborough Community College on Tuesday afternoon.
The win ended Monroe's latest two-game losing streak and put the team at 13-4 on the year.
Mejia poured in a game-high 25 points on an efficient 7-for-10 mark, including a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. Williams Jr. finished his solid four-game stretch with a 21-point outburst. Sophomore
Devere Palmer Jr. thrived too, scoring 19 points across 27 minutes of action.
The Mustangs and Hawks went shot for shot early, but a 9-4 run in the middle of the first half gave Monroe some solid separation. Freshman
Faquir Mosley contributed five points during the run, allowing the Mustangs to take a 24-19 lead.
That separation turned into a first half rout as the Mustangs went on a 29-9 over the final eight minutes of the half. Mejia turned it up a notch with 13 points during that span as the Mustangs shot an impressive 11-for-17 during that span.
Entering the second half up 53-30, Monroe seemed to be in the driver's seat for a bounce back victory, but Hillsborough made it a game, cutting its deficit to as low as seven with 3:11 left to play. Despite the comeback, Monroe closed the game on a 15-10 run to keep the Hawks at bay.
Mejia once again dictated the direction of the game as he scored seven points during the stretch run. The team was once again efficient when it mattered most, connecting on 6-of-7 from the field over the latter stage of the contest.
Overall, the Mustangs shot 55.7% from the field and 60% from deep. As they've done all season, they got to the line and made the trips matter, connecting on 18-of-20 from the charity stripe.
Despite two losses in a row, the Mustangs closed out their Florida trip with a big confidence boost and will next take the floor on Saturday, January 11 against Niagara Community College at 7:00 pm at the Monroe Athletic Complex.
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).
