New Rochelle, NY, February 26, 2022 – The Monroe Express men's basketball team used a 14-0 run midway through the second half to pull away from Nassau Community College on Saturday afternoon 67-54 in the Region 15 semifinals at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The victory clinches a spot in the Region 15 Championship game for the first time in program history for the Express, who improve to 21-9 while the Lions fall to 17-7.
 
Three Express Players scored in double figures, led by freshman Siddiq McNair (Philadelphia, Pennslyvania) who came off the bench to drop a game-high 21 points, 13 of them in the second half. Classmate Jasigha Barnes (Baldwin, New York) teamed up with him in the backcourt to contribute 19 points, with 13 of them also coming in the second half. Barnes dished out a game-high tied five assists and tied a team-best with McNair with two steals. Sophomore Isaiah Stone (Baldwin, New York) also came off the bench to record his fourth straight double-double and team-best 17th overall, hauling down a game-high 16 rebounds and scoring 14 points.
 
Monroe-Bronx outworked Nassau Community College on the boards 42-30 while outscoring them in the paint 30-22 and cashing in with 19 points off of 20 turnovers. The Express were excellent at the charity stripe, shooting 84.2% (16-for-19), and have now shot 80% or better for the fifth time this season.
 
The first half was tightly contested between both squads in the third installment of this matchup. After a Barnes three-pointer at 17:30 gave Monroe-Bronx a 3-2 lead, Nassau Community College would lead for the rest of the half, stretching the advantage to five, 11-6 at 12:20 on a pair of Kervin Lai-Fook Francis free-throws and 20-15 at the 8:29 mark when Shabue Mosley converted a pair of free-throws. A three-pointer from Kervin Lai-Fook Francis gave the Lions a seven-point lead, 31-24, their largest lead of the day with 40 seconds to go before a Stone layup cut their lead to 31-27 at the halfway point.
 
The Express came out determined in the second half, opening on a 7-2 run to retake the lead for good 34-33 on a Jaiden Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) putback at 17:52. Nassau Community College would tie it three more times, the last being at 38 before Monroe-Bronx ran away with the contest down the stretch as McNair (3-3 FG) and Barnes (2-2 3PT) combined for 12 of the following 14 consecutive points to stretch the Express's lead to its largest of the day 14, 52-38 at 9:02. The Lions got within nine twice but never got any closer, with the Express rolling to a 67-54 victory.

Shabue Mosley led all scorers for Nassau Community College with a team-high 16 points, while Ahunna Okoko recorded down a team-best eight rebounds and five assists. Keyshawn Kennedy turned away two shots which were also a team-best.

The second-seeded Express are in the Region 15 Championship for the first time in program history. They will try to capture it against rival Hostos CC on Sunday, February 27 at 2 p.m. at the Monroe Athletic Complex. 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).