VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Monroe University – Bronx men's basketball team dropped a 69-67 heartbreaker to Bryant & Stratton College – Virginia Beach JV at Atlantic Shores Christian School Gymnasium on Saturday evening. The game concludes the three-game Virginia road trip for Monroe. 
 
The Express (9-7) were up by 10 in the early stages of the second half, but the Bobcats (8-0) outscored Monroe 34-22 during the final 16:12 of play to snatch the victory.
 
The key factor in the game was the shooting from the foul line. The Express went 14-for-23 (60.9%) from the line during the afternoon. The Bobcats shot 25-for-35 from the charity stripe (71.4%).
 
The Express got off to a good start as a 3-point field goal by freshman Haley Guillen gave them a 26-15 benefit with 4:51 left in the opening half. The Bobcats (8-0) fought back with a 16-6 run to cut Monroe's lead to 32-31 with 26 seconds left in the half. Freshman Paolo Avvento ended the first period on a positive note for the Blue and Gold as his 3-point basket with 12 seconds remaining allowed his team to go into the break with a 35-31 advantage.
 
Monroe came storming out of the gate in the second half with a 10-4 run, capped off by a pair of free throws from Alston, to extend its lead to 45-35 with 16:26 remaining in regulation time. The Bobcats chipped away after that as a layup by rookie Sayquan Welsh concluded a 9-2 run to pull the home team to within three (47-44) with 12:32 left to play. Freshman Malike Smart temporarily disrupted Bryant & Stratton's momentum with a successful jump shot to put the Express up by five.   
 
Just 2:53 later, and Monroe nursing a 53-50 edge, freshman Mikel Chappell of the Bobcats drained a shot from downtown to even the game at 53 points apiece. Each team then grabbed the lead twice until the game was knotted up at 59 with 5:17 left to play. 
 
The Express temporarily took control by scoring four unanswered points, thanks to back-to-back layups by Guillen and Alston, to take a 63-59 advantage with 4:13 to go. However, Bryant & Stratton took the game over from that point, as a successful and-one three-point play by Welsh and then a jumper from Chappell capped off eight straight points by the Bobcats to propel them to a 67-63 lead, with 1:25 to go. Alston helped the Express with a layup with 31 ticks remaining to slice the deficit in half. However, Chappell was fouled intentionally by the Express with 25 seconds left and he drained two insurance free throws to extend the home team's advantage to 69-65.
 
Monroe – Bronx tried to get the game closer in the final seconds. After the Express missed three shots in a span of 14 seconds, sophomore David Malone grabbed an offensive rebound on Monroe's third missed shot in that span and was fouled a few seconds later. He drained both free throws with one second left to narrow the Express' deficit to 69-67. However, it was too little, too late as Bryant & Stratton clinched its second head-to-head victory over Monroe this season.
 
For the Express during the afternoon, Alston and Smart each scored 13 points with the former grabbing five rebounds and delivering three assists, while the latter provided two helpers and a duo of blocks. Malone snatched a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with six points and three blocks. Sophomore Rene Williams generated seven points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots. Sophomore Jayden Gamory chipped in with seven points and six rebounds, while Avvento tallied eight points, five boards, and two steals.
 
For the Bobcats, Welsh scored a game-high 25 points, while snatching five caroms and gathering three steals. Chappell netted 19 points, five boards, and two steals. Rookie Emani Longley had a solid game with eight points, three rebounds, a trio of steals, and two assists. Freshman George Hardin and classmate Avery Hoggard each scored six points. The former had eight rebounds and three steals, while the latter provided four boards and a duo of steals.
 
Monroe – Bronx will return to action after the new year with a Region 15 contest against Queensborough Community College on Tuesday, January 7. Tipoff at Monroe Athletic Complex is scheduled for 8:00 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.

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). Catch us on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/MonroeExpress.