Hagerstown, MD. -The Monroe Mustangs delivered a dominant defensive effort on Saturday afternoon, defeating Hagerstown Community College 65-41 on the road to continue their strong start to the 2025-26 campaign.

The Mustangs quickly established control with elite rebounding and relentless interior presence, finishing with a commanding 48-25 advantage on the glass and 14 second-chance points. Monroe's physicality helped stretch the lead as the afternoon progressed, eventually growing to as many as 33 points in the second half.

Naceiar Kirksey and Nico Pena powered the scoring with 15 points each. Kirksey added three rebounds and two steals, while Pena shot an efficient 6-for-8 from the floor. Qingfang Pang dominated the paint with a double-double dropping 12 points and snagging a game-high 15 boards while also contributing a block and three steals.

Monroe's defense was the storyline throughout the matchup, holding Hagerstown to just 24.1 percent shooting from the field and 16 percent from behind the arc while forcing 15 turnovers.

The Mustangs' depth stepped up as well, highlighted by Jago Robinson's nine points on a perfect shooting performance off the bench, including two threes. Abraham Rosario helped anchor the interior with nine rebounds, and Tavien Tyler added four points and three assists.

Monroe turned up its offensive rhythm after halftime, shooting nearly 43 percent in the second period while continuing to crash the boards and keep the Hawks in check.

The Mustangs move forward with strong momentum as they continue their early-season road swing tomorrow when they take on Allegany College of Maryland at 1 PM.