NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Monroe Express JV women's basketball took to their home court for the final time this season to celebrate their 2022-23 graduating sophomore class, in a Sunday afternoon matinee against the Nassau Community College Lions. The honorees of the afternoon were Adriana Aybar, Shasauna Ballantyne, Doretha Brooks, Deeosmary Espinal, Edenisse Jimenez, Kassandra Marks and Christina Reilly. In a closely contested matchup, the Express came out on top with a 75-69 victory. The Express' record improves to 9-8, while the Lions fall to 9-9.

Brooks got the game going early for the Express, knocking down a jumper inside the arc off a Ballantyne pass. Jimenez then followed with a score of her own to put the lead at 4-0. Mia Cheatham immediately answered with a bucket, before both teams would not score for the next few minutes. Monroe would hold a narrow lead for the next four minutes of action before a Ballantyne layup gave the home team more separation. Amaniya Aiken would knock down a contested jumper with 36 seconds left in the first, before two last second free throws from Marks gave the Express a four point lead. 

The second period was a back and forth affair, with an Ashley Vigliotti 3-pointer cutting the deficit to one point at the 8:04 mark. After a brief five point spurt, the lead would balloon back to six points after a Ballantyne hit from downtown. Both teams would begin to trade baskets, with the Lions coming within three points, until two Reilly corner jumpers would give the Express a six point cushion again. Vigliotti would hit from 3-point range again, trimming the lead to five, but Reilly knocked down another corner jumper to answer. Cheatham was able to soften the blow for Nassau, knocking down a last second jumper to put the score at 26-23 going into the intermission. 

In a classic case of a tale of two halves, both teams went on the offensive attack in the second stretch of the game. The Express saw themselves open up a ten point advantage early in the third, off a Kuari Green layup followed by an Aybar 3-pointer. The lead eventually reached 13 points, the largest of the contest for Monroe, before Nassau came within three after a 13-5 Lions run. The Express would not be denied, ending the period on a 15-8 run, capped off by two Reilly field goals to raise their lead back to 10.
Sporting a double digit lead at the start of the fourth, both squads traded baskets early before a Shyann Parker and-one layup cut the lead to five after she converted the play. Although the Lions were finding momentum, the Express would match their scoring each time a run was attempted. After a Green free throw at the 3:42 mark put the lead back to 10, Parker and Aiken would knock down timely baskets to shrink the Nassau deficit to three points. The Express would handle business down the stretch, eventually settling the 75-69 final.

Reilly led all scorers with a season-high 24 points, seven rebounds, one block and one steal. Green was closely behind with 21 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal. Brooks added 10 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals.

The Express compete in their final match of the season Thursday (Feb. 9) in a road matchup against the Bryant & Stratton (Albany) Bobcats in Albany, NY at 5 PM.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 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 14 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
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