NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Monroe University – Bronx men's basketball team suffered a setback in the second game of its three-game Virginia road trip on Friday evening as they fell to Virginia Peninsula Community College by a score of 83-72. The game took place in the SafeHaven Empowerment Center.
 
The key difference in the game was the shooting from beyond the arc. The Gators shot 8-for-25 from downtown, while the Express only went 2-for-13 from 3-point range. Six of those 3-point baskets by the home team came in the opening half. Virginia Peninsula also won the turnover battle, 22-16, and scored 23 points off Monroe's miscues. 
 
The Express (9-6) got off to a good start in the game by jumping out to a 10-0 lead, just 2:35 into the contest. Freshman Dimitre Alston scored nine of those 10 points. However, the Gators (8-4) responded with a 13-2 run to jump out to a one-point benefit (13-12) with 14:14 remaining in the opening half. Later in the period, sophomore David Malone drilled a free throw for Monroe to even the game at 15. After that, eight unanswered points were scored by Virginia Peninsula which earned the home team a commanding 23-15 hold with 10:36 left before the break. 
 
Monroe – Bronx fell behind by a score of 30-22 in the late stages of the first half but then began to chip away with a 9-4 run to cut the deficit to two. Capping off the rally was a traditional three-point play by Alston with 5:22 left in the first frame. After the Gators increased their lead to four, the Express responded with six straight points, concluded by a tip-in layup courtesy of Malone, to allow Monroe to regain the lead at 38-36 with 3:12 left. 
 
Virginia Peninsula eventually took a 44-42 benefit, but the Express finished the half strong as Alston took a feed from sophomore Jayden Gamory and converted a layup with five ticks left to send both teams into the break tied at 44.
 
The game was knotted up at 50 in the second half but then Virginia Peninsula scored 10 unanswered points to take a 60-50 advantage with 11:51 remaining in regulation time. Monroe managed to pull to within four a couple of times but could not get closer than that the rest of the way. The Gators went up by as many as 13 on their way to the 83-72 victory.
 
Leading the way for the Express during the evening was Alston who scored a game-high 32 points, while grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out two assists, and blocking a pair of shots. Malone had a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, plus he blocked two shots. Freshman Haley Guillen provided energy off the bench with a 3-point field goal, six boards, and four steals. Sophomore Rene Williams had a solid game with six points, four rebounds, and two blocks. Freshman Paolo Avvento added seven points, four rebounds, and a duo of steals. Freshman Malike Smart generated eight points, three caroms, and just as many steals.
 
For the Gators, sophomore Sincere Moore generated 21 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Freshman Asa Fehrenbach came off the bench and recorded 14 points and seven boards. Classmate Emmanuel Angila netted seven points, snatched just as many caroms, and delivered five assists. Rookie Jayden Sepulveda scored 11 points. Sophomore Keshaun Johnson provided 10 points, blocked a game-high five shots, and brought down just as many rebounds.
 
Monroe – Bronx will conclude the three-game Virginia trip with its second head-to-head matchup this season against Bryant & Stratton College – Virginia Beach JV on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff at Atlantic Shores Christian School Gymnasium is set for 3:00 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University 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 University 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.

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