BRONX, N.Y. (November 9, 2021) – After a year off, the Chris Neely Era began with a bang on as the Monroe Express men's basketball team put on a show for the crowd in their first home game of the 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday evening at Monroe Athletic Complex. Sophomore Isaiah Stone (Baldwin, New York) became the third player in program history to register a double-double in a season opener with a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds in an impressive debut to lead the Express to a dominant 80-57 victory over Springfield Technical Community College in their season opener.

Stone's 31 point scoring output also set a new single-game program record in a season-opener for the Express. Freshman Jasigha Barnes (Baldwin, New York) drained 12 points and swatted a team-high two blocks on the evening. Stone also led the Express in two other statistical categories distributing a team-best four assists and tying for another with fellow upperclassman Jaiden Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) with four steals. Simon also contributed offensively with nine points while Issac Johnson (Bronx, New York) pulled down 10 rebounds, and Barnes dished out two assists.

Monroe-Bronx took advantage of the height advantage dominating the rebounding advantage 48-23, and muscled Springfield Tech in the paint 40-26. The Express also scored 26 of their points off 22 turnovers and registered 10 steals on the evening.

After trailing 7-3 at the 14:59 mark of the first half, the Express would score the following five points taking their first lead 8-7 on a Johnson layup off of a Stone steal at 13:58 before Patrick Nguyen responded to give Springfield Tech the lead back 9-8 at the 12:58 mark. The Express took control of the game the rest of the way, outscoring the Rams over the next 7:12 28-8, increasing their lead to its biggest of the first half, 36-17 on a Babacar Niang (Harlem, New York) lay in at 3:40 before Springfield Tech used a 15-6 advantage down the stretch to cut the Express lead to 42-32 at Halftime.

The Rams would not go away outscoring the Express 13-9 over the first seven and half minutes of the second half to cut the deficit down to six, 51-45 at 12:06. However, Monroe-Bronx never looked back, outscoring Springfield Tech 32-3 over the next nine and half minutes to build their lead to 23, 77-54, their largest of the night after an Stone layup at 2:39 and rolled to victory 80-57.

Christopher Ortiz led Springfield Technical Community College offensively with a team-high 13 points, while Doran Williams contributed on the evening with 11 points. Jamal Jackson recorded a team-best five rebounds and three assists while Jeremiah Barbosa and Joe Garcia put up a team-best with two blocks and two steals.

The Express will look for their first 2-0 in program history in two days when they open up Regional play on the road Thursday, November 11, against Queensborough Community College at 7:30 p.m. For more information, please visit the Monroe Express Men's Schedule Page.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 36 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports program, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 17 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).