NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., February 20, 2024 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team got a new winning streak started on Tuesday, defeating CCBC Catonsville, 93-67, at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 21-6 overall with the win, while the Cardinals fall to 16-10.
The Cardinals quickly jumped ahead in Tuesday's contest with a 6-2 lead just two minutes in. The Mustangs responded with a 9-2 run, but they were unable to hold onto the momentum. The two teams were neck-and-neck for much of the half. Catonsville took the lead again at 26-23, but the Mustangs scored seven straight points to go up by four. After a Micah Morgan layup for Catonsville, the Mustangs stayed in rhythm, closing out the half on a 9-3 run to take a 39-31 edge into the break.
Hassan Washington had a huge first half, scoring 17 points with four rebounds to lead all scorers.
Zatai Townsend added seven points, while
Stefano Faloppa tallied six.
Albert Vargas dished out a team-high nine assists.
The Mustangs came out firing in the second half, scoring 11 straight points to quickly stretch the lead to 19. A three by
Zatai Townsend at the 13:29 mark had the Mustangs up by 21 points. Monroe continued to stretch the lead, taking a 70-46 advantage with 10 minutes to play. An
Isiah Middleton layup had Monroe up, 76-51, before the Cardinals scored 10 straight points to cut the deficit to 15. After a cold few minutes, the Mustangs picked things back up with five straight points, including an impressive three-point play by
Devere Palmer Jr., to push the lead back to 20 with just 3:06 left in regulation. Washington went wild in the last couple minutes, scoring Monroe's final six points of the night, with a pair of slam dunks in the final 60 seconds to secure a 26-point victory for the Mustangs.
Washington finished with a season-high 25 points in the win to lead the floor.
Albert Vargas produced a double-double with 11 points and a new career-high of 15 assists. Townsend totaled 17 points and four steals. Palmer scored 13 points with five boards.
Ziare Wells added 10 points with six rebounds and four assists, while Faloppa matched his 10 points.
The Mustangs will look to keep things going on Monday, Feb. 26, when they visit Harford Community College in Bel Air, Md. Monday's tip-off is set for 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 (
@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (
@monroemustangs).
