BALTIMORE – The NJCAA Division III nationally ranked No. 11 Monroe College – Bronx opened its 2023-24 campaign by falling to the defending NJCAA Division II National Champion and nationally ranked No. 1 Community College of Baltimore County – Essex, 94-41, at CCBC Essex Wellness & Athletics Center, on Friday evening, November 3.
 
The Express (0-1) kept up with the nation's top NJCAA Division II team early, and even had a lead in the first quarter, but the defending national champions were able to pull away for the season-opening victory.
 
Leading the way for Monroe – Bronx was rookie guard Daysiah Smith who netted 25 points, shot 9-for-22 from the field, forced a trio of steals, and grabbed a pair of rebounds. Freshman guard Tymere Moorer tallied four points, seven boards, and a block, while rookie guard Tiffany Newsome produced five points and three rebounds.
 
First-year guard Jah Gunter grabbed four caroms and drained two free throws for the Express. Classmate Davian Myers secured six rebounds, while freshman guard Angeleny Cobos drained a triple and grabbed two boards. Sophomore forward Kristina Poitier-Wells had two points and just as many rebounds. Freshman forward Da'Mya Cheatham snatched six rebounds in her collegiate basketball debut.
 
The Express battled the Knights tough in the opening quarter. Smith drained a triple that put the Blue and Gold in front of the defending NJCAA Division II National Champions, 8-7, with 4:45 left to play in the first period. However, CCBC – Essex (1-0) responded by finishing the quarter with 10 straight points to put the home team back out ahead for good. The stanza was capped off by a steal and a layup by sophomore guard Ashley Dickey, just as the buzzer sounded, to give the nationally ranked No. 1 team a 17-8 benefit after 10 minutes of play. 
 
The Knights' run continued into the second quarter, scoring the first nine points of the period to complete the 19-0 run and take a commanding 26-8 hold. The Express halted the opposition's run thanks to a layup by Smith with 7:14 left until the break. 
 
In the closing seconds of the first half, Moorer sprinted down the court with the ball and from coast to coast, she successfully converted a fast-break layup to narrow the Express' deficit to 40-21 with six ticks left on the clock and that would be the score heading into the intermission.
 
Monroe – Bronx could not sustain a consistent run to get back into the game during the second half as the Knights went on to earn the victory.
 
For the CCBC - Essex, Dickey led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, five steals, and a pair of blocks. Sophomore guard Kierran Walker scored a game-high 28 points, secured eight rebounds, forced three steals, and dished out a pair of assists.
 
Monroe – Bronx's home opener against Massasoit Community College, originally scheduled for Saturday evening, November 4 at Monsignor Scanlan Gymnasium, has been postponed and will be made up later in the season. The Express' next game will be on Tuesday, at Sussex County Community College on Tuesday, November 7, at 5:00 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 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 and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, 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/X (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress).