New Rochelle, NY – An inspired second half performance pushed the Monroe University men's basketball team to an East District Championship over #2-seed Harcum College on Saturday. The 77-70 victory clinched the Mustangs their first NJCAA National Tournament appearance since 2023.
Up four with 20 seconds remaining, sophomore
Jordan Sanders hit a dagger three to send the Monroe faithful into jubilation. It capped off what was a heroic second half performance by the Mustangs after falling behind by nine at the midway point of the championship game.
Harcum shot lights out in the first half, but out of the halftime locker room something clicked defensively for the top-seeded Mustangs. The Bears shot just 26% from the field over the final 20 minutes as Monroe's offense caught fire.
Sanders went 6-for-8 in the second half, scoring 15 of his team-high 24 points. Sophomore
Ryan Williams Jr. — who nearly triple-doubled with nine rebounds and eight assists — joined Sanders in double figures in the second half with 11 points after going scoreless in the first half. Overall, Sanders and Williams Jr. were two of five double-digit scorers on the evening, joining freshmen
Qingfang Pang,
Eric Mejia and
Faquir Mosley.
The night started off right for the Mustangs as they jumped out to an 8-1 lead. But the hot shooting from Harcum soon turned the score in its favor. Getting outplayed over the final ten minutes of the first half, Monroe had to find a spark.
Within two minutes of the second half beginning, a Williams Jr. dunked cut the deficit to one possession. While Harcum maintained its lead by a slim margin, Monroe's 6-0 run near the halfway point of the second half put them in front, 58-53.
The two sides went back-and-forth as the game neared its end, but hustle plays by Mosley and Pang reignited the flame for the Mustangs. Tied at 67 with two minutes to go, Monroe embarked on a championship-clinching 10-2 run as it hoisted the district trophy.
Monroe will head to Hutchinson, KS, for the national tournament, which is set to begin on March 22.
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).
