NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Monroe College – Bronx men's basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit late in the first half to earn a thrilling victory over Bryant & Stratton College Va. (JV), 79-64, at Monroe Athletic Complex on Sunday, December 10.
 
After falling behind by 14 (35-21) with 4:17 remaining in the opening stanza, the Express (7-6) were able to slice it to single digits at the end of the half, and then outscored the Bobcats (2-3), 47-23, in the second stanza to snatch the victory.
 
"Everything is defense," Express sophomore guard Jaream Eason said regarding the key to the comeback win. "Defense and getting back in transition."
 
Sophomore forward Abubakar Kromah had a strong game for the Express with a game-high 26 points, led all players with 14 rebounds, and dished out four assists. Freshman guard Steven McGriff also had a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards, while dishing out a trio of assists coming off the bench. 
 
Eason netted 16 points, snatched eight caroms, and forced a pair of steals to help spark Monroe's second unit. Sophomore guard Vashaun Wallace provided six points, eight rebounds, just as many assists, and a trio of steals.
 
The Express dug themselves in a deep hole during the opening half, as a jumper by rookie guard Elijah Smith gave the Bobcats a commanding 35-21 hold with 4:17 to go in the opening period. From that point, the Express began to chip away as back-to-back field goals by Eason and Kromah highlighted a 9-2 run that pulled Monroe – Bronx to within seven, at 37-30, with 1:58 remaining before the break. Both teams eventually went into the intermission with Bryant & Stratton nursing a 41-32 advantage. 
 
After a successful jump shot by first-year guard Tyler Lindsay extended the visiting team's lead to 48-39, less than three minutes into the second half, the Express flipped a switch and went on a 16-1, in a span of 4:25, to jump out to a 55-49 lead in a blink of an eye. 
 
Kromah began the game-altering rally with a tip-in layup after he grabbed an offensive rebound. Sophomore forward Jevonté Valerie connected on a layup that pulled the Express to within one, at 49-48, with 14:36 to go. After 35 seconds had gone by, Eason drained a free throw to tie it up at 49 points apiece. On the next play, Eason forced a steal, sprinted down the court, and converted a layup to give Monroe – Bronx its first lead since the early stages of the first half, at 51-49, with 13:38 to go. Kromah and Wallace combined for back-to-back buckets in the paint to complete the run and inflate Monroe's benefit to 55-49 with 12:29 remaining in regulation time. 
 
The Bobcats temporarily halted Monroe's momentum by scoring four straight points to pull to within one, at 55-54, with 11:22 left to play. However, sophomore guard Derrick Simpson took a feed from second-year guard Jovan Young and drained a jumper, which began an 18-1 blitz by the Express which padded their cushion to 73-56 with 3:47 remaining in regulation time. Kromah capitalized on four shot attempts from inside the paint during the Express' big run that put the game out of reach for Bryant & Stratton. 
 
Monroe – Bronx went on to win the contest by a score of 79-64.
 
"We played with great energy on both sides of the floor," Monroe – Bronx Head Coach Chris Neely said. "We are giving ourselves a chance to win every night."
 
A key component of the game was the shooting from the charity stripe. Monroe went 16-for-25 from the line (64.0%), while the Bobcats only converted five out of 11 free throw attempts (45.5%).
 
For Monroe, Young had six rebounds, two assists, and a duo of steals. Valerie added five points and just as many boards.
 
These two teams will have a rematch, this time on Bryant & Stratton's home court in Virginia Beach on Friday, December 15. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. This will begin a stretch of three straight games in the state of Virginia for the Express, which will all take place throughout next weekend (December 15, 16, and 17). 

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).