New Rochelle, NY - The Monroe College Mustangs battled unbeaten UCNJ on Thursday evening at the MAC but ultimately fell, 76-66, dropping Monroe to 6-6 on the season.

Union set the tone early, jumping out to a 19-13 lead after the opening quarter and applying steady pressure throughout the night. Monroe countered with a strong second-quarter surge, outscoring the Owls 20–17  to pull within three at the half. But Union's offense heated up again in the third, rebuilding a double-digit advantage that the Mustangs couldn't overcome.

Hellary De Los Santos led Monroe with another standout performance, posting 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Sydney Huskey matched her with 14 points and added three steals. Angie Tirado came off the bench firing, knocking down three triples on her way to 13 points, helping the Mustangs' reserves outscore the Owls bench by 17 points

Free throws and toughness on the interior helped Monroe hang around with the Mustangs hitting 73 percent from the line and keeping rebounding the rebounding margin even at 38–38, but cold shooting from deep proved costly. Monroe finished just 3-for-25 from three-point range while the Owls connected on seven makes from beyond the arc, creating the key separation.

Monroe will look to bounce back quickly as they host Baltimore City Community College on Saturday.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 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).