New Rochelle, NY, January 30, 2021 – The Monroe Express men's basketball team gave Monroe College all they could handle in the first half before the Mustangs turned it on late with a 25-5 run going into halftime en route to a convincing 95-63 win at the Monroe Athletic Complex Sunday evening. The loss snaps the Express's two-game winning streak dropping them to 15-7, while the Mustangs made it five straight victories, improving to 19-5.
 
Two Express players scored in double-figures in the contest, with sophomore Isaiah Stone (Baldwin, New York) leading the way with a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds missed a double-double by one rebound. Classmate Jabnel Cordero (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) recorded his second straight double-digit scoring effort draining 15 points, 11 coming in the first half. Freshman Jasigha Barnes (Baldwin, New York) distributed a game-high five assists and scored eight points while Stone and Cordero.   
 
Monroe-Bronx scored 24 points off 29 Mustang turnovers, while Monroe College cashed in on 29 points off of 22 Express turnovers. Monroe-Bronx also recorded 14 steals on the evening, their 11th game with 10 or more steals, and their fifth straight game with 10 or more assists with 13 in the contest.
 
The Express came out punching from the opening tip in the first half, taking their first lead at the 17:25 mark on a three-pointer by Cordero to make it 3-2 and then built it to as large as eight, 26-18 at 7:20 on a Stone three-pointer. The Mustangs would roar back, constructing an 11-3 run over the next four and a half minutes to knot the game up at 29 on a Tyje Kelton jumper at 3:41 and outscored the Express 14-2 down the stretch to take a 43-31 lead into halftime.
 
The Express trimmed the deficit down to 10, 43-33 on a Stone layup at 19:24 but wouldn't get any closer as the Mustangs would go on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 20, 53-33 on a Melvin Council Jr. dunk at 16:44 and build their lead to as large as 36, 81-57 on a pair of Braelon Joe free-throws at 4:51 cruising to victory.
 
Three players scored in double-figures for Monroe College led by Melvin Council Jr., who put up a game-high 26 points and five steals while ripping down a team-high eight boards. Isac Ahnstrand scored 19 points, 14 coming in the second half, and Hamdel Mohammad chipped in with 12 points off the bench while Braelon Joe gave out a team-high four assists.
 
The Express look to get back on track Tuesday, February 1, on the road against Regional foe Bronx C.C. in an interborough matchup at 7 p.m. at Alumni Gym. For more information, please visit the Monroe Express Men's Basketball 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).