BEL AIR, Md., February 26, 2024 – Monday evening's matchup at the APG Federal Credit Union Arena had several big swings, but the last of them went the way of the Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team, which held on late in the game to defeat Harford Community College, 91-84. Monroe improves to 22-6 on the year with the win, while Harford drops to 17-13.
The Mustangs trailed for much of the first half in Monday's matchup.
Hassan Washington dunked the ball to open the game, but the Fighting Owls then scored six straight points. The Mustangs trailed by as many as eight points before battling their way back into the game. Six straight points got Monroe back within two, but the Fighting Owls were able to hold the Mustangs off for a few more minutes. A 6-2 run tied the game at 22-22, but Harford later managed to go back up, 31-26.
The Mustangs made their big push from there, tallying 10 straight points with four different scorers to take a 36-31 edge with 2:08 left in the half. Monroe was unable to hold onto that lead, however, as Harford scored nine straight to go up, 40-36.
Stefano Faloppa hit a jumper at the buzzer for Monroe to keep the Mustangs within two at the break.
Devere Palmer Jr. led the Mustangs with 11 points at the half. Faloppa was right behind him with nine.
Albert Vargas had five points, three steals and three assists at the break.
Ziare Wells opened the second half with a three, but Harford fired back with two of their own to go up by five. It was all Mustangs for the next few minutes, as the visitors went on an 11-0 run to jump ahead, 52-46. The Mustangs later scored nine straight, capped off by a
Zatai Townsend three, making it a 63-51 lead for Monroe. Things took a quick turn when the Fighting Owls went on an 11-3 run, cutting the deficit to three points with 9:25 to play.
With Harford still within three, Townsend drained another longball to help the Mustangs keep their distance. The Fighting Owls managed to once again make it a three-point game, but a layup by Townsend, followed by an old-school three-point play Wells on the next possession had Monroe up, 79-71.
The Mustangs had a seven-point edge with 3:01 to play before five straight by Harford made it a two-point game at the 1:49 mark. Wells had a big tip-in off a miss with 1:05 to go to make it a four-point game. The Mustangs made a couple stops before the Fighting Owls resorted to fouling Monroe. Faloppa went to the line and made both chances to go up by six. Palmer then stole the ball away, leading to Townsend being fouled. He made the second of his two chances to bring the score to 91-84, getting one last stop in the final seconds to hang on for the seven-point win.
Wells finished with a team-high 23 points, completing a double-double after leading the team with 10 rebounds. Townsend was right behind him with 22 points after making five three-pointers on the night. Palmer totaled 17 points with seven boards and three blocks. Faloppa added 15 points, six rebounds and two steals. Vargas ended up with eight points, six assists, five boards and three steals.
The Mustangs will play their final home game of the season this Saturday, March 2, when they host Harcum College for a crucial Region matchup at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs will also be celebrating their sophomores in a Sophomore Day ceremony ahead of tip-off. Saturday's matchup with the Bears is set to begin at 1 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).
