Seldon, NY, February 8, 2021 – The Monroe Express men's basketball team second-half surge came up short, 75-70 against Suffolk County Community College on the road Tuesday evening. The loss snaps the Express's two-game winning streak dropping them to 17-8 (9-4 Region XV) while the Sharks improve to 16-2 (12-2 Region XV).
 
The Express finished the contest with four players in double-figures led by freshman Jasigha Barnes (Baldwin, New York) who drained a team-high 19 points and dished out a team-best six assists while snatching a team-best two steals. Sophomore Jabnel Cordero (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) registered his fifth-straight double-figure scoring performance with 13 points, and classmate Issac Johnson (Bronx, New York) posted a double-double with a game-best 15 rebounds and 12 points. Freshman Babacar Niang (Harlem, New York) also scored 12 points and just missed a double-double by a rebound with nine boards on the night. 
 
Suffolk Community College scored 10 of the first 12 points of the first half before Monroe-Bronx scored the next six to cut the deficit down to 10-8. Then the Sharks constructed a 15-6 run increasing the lead to double-digits by 11, 25-14 and got it to as large as 13, 32-19 before taking a 41-29 lead into halftime.
 
The Express came out firing in the second half with a 20-6 run to get the Shark lead down to two, 49-47 on a Cordero three-pointer from the right win. Suffolk went on an 8-2 run to get the lead back up to six, 55-49, before Monroe-Bronx roared back with a 9-2 run to take the lead for the first time 58-57 on a Barnes coast-to-coast layup off of a defensive rebound by Johnson. AJ Knight Jr's three-point put the Sharks back in front 60-58, and they would not relinquish that lead holding off the Express for a 75-70 victory.
 
For Suffolk County Community College, four players registered double-digit scoring performances and two recorded double-doubles. AJ Knight Jr. spearheaded the offensive effort with a game-high 20 points and seven assists to go along with a team-high three steals. Julius Goddard dropped 17 points and hauled in a team-best 12 rebounds, and Gaetham Fils-Aime also finished with a double double with 12 points and 11 boards.  

The Express will look to bounce back two nights from now on the road Thursday, February 10, against Kingsborough Community College in Region 15 play. 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).