NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., January 24, 2019 – Monroe Express men's basketball scored 51 points in the second half en route to a 96-79 victory over the Hostos Community College Caimans on Thursday at the Monroe Athletic Complex.
 
Behind a 9-0 run, Hostos opened a 19-9 lead early on in the first quarter. But the Express responded with a 7-0 run over the next 1:21 to cut the deficit to just two.
 
Four-straight free throws brought the Caimans lead out to six, but the Express responded with another run, this time scoring 10 straight over the next 3:22 to take the lead.
 
The Express led by as many as 12 points, 44-32 with 1:43 to play in the half, before the Caimans closed the gap to eight, 45-37, heading into halftime.
 
Gian Batista led all scorers with 14 points, and stood two rebounds shy of his second double-double of the season at the half.
 
Hostos cut the deficit to five to open the second half, but a quick 7-0 run put the Express up by double-digits once again.
 
Monroe kept its double-digit lead for much of the second half, until Hostos tried to put together one last run to close the gap.
 
The Caimans cut the Express' lead to seven, 72-79, with just over three minutes to play. But Monroe ended the game on a 17-7 run, hitting their free throws and playing tough defense to finish off the victory.
 
With the win, their second-straight, the Express move to 10-9 (6-7 Region XV) on the season, while the Caimans fall to 9-9 (5-5 Region XV).
 
Batista recorded his second double-double of the season, leading the way for Monroe with 29 points, 15 rebounds, five steals and three assists. Luis Aviles scored a season-high 18 points in just 24 minutes, while Moussa Sanogo and Ghetty Allui each scored 12.
 
Tyhj Peterson also scored in double-figures for the Express with 13 points, adding three rebounds and two assists.
 
The Express are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 26 when they travel to Selden, N.Y. to take on No. 1 Suffolk County Community College at 2 p.m.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 27 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter (@MonroeExpress) and Instagram (@MonroeExpress).