Baltimore, MD – For a fifth consecutive season the Monroe University women's basketball team punched its ticket to the NJCAA National Tournament after defeating Harford Community College, 67-53, on Saturday.
As they've done all season, the Mustangs used turnovers to force the issue. The Fighting Owls committed 30 turnovers, with Monroe scoring 27 points off those miscues. Six different players recorded multiple steals, encapsulating a dominant defensive season.
The freshman trio of
Sydney Huskey,
Carlota Lopez and
Kaylyn Lelie did what they did best. Huskey led the Mustangs with 23 points, while Lelie chipped in 15 and Lopez provided 13. All three players played over 38 minutes in the game.
A 20-12 first quarter got the day off strong, with Huskey leading the way with nine points. The Mustangs then forced eight turnovers and limited Harford to just six points in the second quarter to take a firm 36-18 lead into the halftime intermission.
Never wavering from its goal, Monroe saw Lelie take over with seven points in a more tightly contested third quarter. But the damage had already been done as Monroe coasted to the Region 20 Tournament Championship.
This will be head coach
Camille McLellan's second appearance at nationals in two years with the Mustangs. They will be heading to Casper, WY, on March 25 with a shot at a national title on the line.
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).
