Hutchinson, KS – After squandering a late lead in the second half, the #20-seed Monroe University men's basketball team were on the ropes as it trailed by one point in overtime to #13-seed Chipola College in round one of the 2025 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
The Mustangs drew up an out-of-bounds play that led to a corner three from freshman
Faquir Mosley. His attempt caromed out towards half-court as sophomore
Ryan Williams Jr. chased down the miss with seconds remaining.
The veteran guard blew by two defenders before throwing a game-sealing lob to fellow sophomore
Hassan Washington as Chipola left the baseline wide open for the big man to soar in for the dunk.
A key defensive stop on the ensuing possession led to jubilation for the Mustangs as they emerged victorious, 79-78, to move onto the quarterfinals of the national tournament.
Sophomore
Devere Palmer Jr. led the Mustangs with 17 points. Williams Jr. (15) and Washington (11) were joined by sophomore
Jordan Sanders (15) with double figures as the Atlanta native connected on key free throws late in regulation to stave off Chipola's comeback.
Monroe had to battle back from a first half deficit that reached as high as 13. The physicality from the Indians caused trouble for the Mustangs as they committed 13 turnovers in the half. It trimmed the deficit to single digits late, but a buzzer-beating lay-in put Monroe in a 35-23 hole at the break.
Out of the half, Monroe's offense began to look more comfortable as the defense held up their end of the bargain. A crucial 11-0 run following the first media timeout of the half put the score at 42-41 with 11:44 remaining.
Chipola staved off Monroe enough to maintain its lead, but a dunk from Washington tied the game at 45 before freshman
Eric Mejia nailed a pivotal three-pointer with 6:14 left to reward Monroe with its first lead of the contest.
On the ensuing possession, Sanders connected from deep to give the Mustangs a six-point lead.
Late free throws from Sanders and Palmer Jr. kept Chipola at bay despite the Indians battling back with uncharacteristic three-point makes. But on the final possession, Palmer Jr. was called for a blocking foul to hand Chipola the game-tying free throws to close out regulation.
The two sides traded baskets as overtime went underway. Trailing by two possessions, Mosley drilled a massive three with 1:15 to go to make it a one-point ball game. Palmer Jr. then hit his patented mid-range jumper to give Monroe a 77-76 lead.
The Indians took the lead back before a costly turnover gave the higher seed the ball back with the shot clock turned off. However, Williams Jr. stole the ball right back, setting up the game-winning play by Washington.
Monroe will draw #4-seed South Plains College in a rematch of their November nailbiter in Idaho. Tip-off is set for 6:30 PM (5:30 PM CT) on Monday, March 24.
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).
