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HUTCHINSON, KS. - The No. 13 Monroe men's basketball team continues their journey at the 2026 NJCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Monday, March 23 against No. 4 Trinity Valleyin the second round of the tournament at 5:30 pm CT in Hutchinson, Kansas. 

HISTORY

• Monroe is facing Trinity Valley for the first time in program history.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS

• Trinity Valley enters the tournament with a 28-5 overall record.
• They are coming off a win in the Region XIV Championship game against Lee College by a score of 85-67. 
• Leading their offense is Armani "Mani" Henderson, who tallies 13.5 points per game and has a 46.8% field goal percentage.
• As a team, they average 76.0 points per game and hold opponents to 75.1 points per game. 

LAST TIME OUT

• The Mustangs opened the 2026 NJCAA Men's Basketball Division I Tournament with a 77-72 victory over No. 20 Mineral Area on Saturday night. 
• The Mustangs captured a 10-point lead in the first half, holding Mineral Area to just 27 points while the Mustangs tallied 37.
• Naceiar Kirksey led the Mustangs in the first half with 11 points and five rebounds as he went 5-8 from the field.
• The Mustangs' powerful defense forced 11 Mineral Area turnovers in the first half while also forcing two steals.
• The second half was all about Nick Williams as he powered the Mustangs with 16 points in the half, shooting 5-9 from the field and 6-7 from the free-throw line and recording five rebounds.
• The Mustangs' defense forced four steals and forced 11 more turnovers to Mineral Area, which led to the Mustangs holding the Cardinals to just 45 points in the second half.
• Riley Dunn's six rebounds and four points in the second half contributed to the Mustangs' 40 points in the second half, leading to the Mustangs' eventual victory.

STRAIGHT UP WINNING

• Following the Mustangs win over Mineral Area, the Mustangs currently are on a 21-game win-streak. 
• The Mustangs this season haven't lost a game since December 12, 2025, when they fell to Daytona State College.

UP NEXT

• With a win over Trinity Valley, the Mustangs would advance to the Quarterfinal Round of the NJCAA tournament which would take place on Wednesday, March 25 at 5:30 PM CT.