ROCHESTER – Minn. – The 11^th-seeded Monroe College – Bronx women's basketball team concluded its incredible season with a victory in the consolation game of the NJCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Tournament over 10^th-seeded and nationally ranked No. 12 Rowan College South Jersey Gloucester County, 62-52, at the Rochester Regional Sports Center on Thursday afternoon. 
 
It was a memorable run for the Express (17-17) as they captured both the Region 15 and Northeast District Championships for the third straight year, this time with a completely new roster and coaching staff. The Blue and Gold defeated four nationally ranked teams this season, including the top two seeds in the regional standings during the Region 15 Semifinal and Championship contests, plus Thursday's consolation game against the Roadrunners (21-4) in the National Tournament. 
 
"It feels amazing," Monroe College – Bronx Head Coach Damel Ling said. "We played tremendous defense today and we rebounded the ball well. We got contributions from multiple people which helped us get over the top."
 
Leading the way for the Express was freshman guard Tiffany Newsome who scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and forced two steals. Classmate Daysiah Smith came off the bench and provided 17 points, three steals, and a pair of boards. First-year guard Angeleny Cobos tallied 11 points and snatched five caroms. First-year guard Tymere Moorer had a great all-around game with 14 points, five steals, four boards, and a pair of steals. Rookie guard Davian Myers tied a game-high with nine rebounds. 
 
Smith finishes her run with Monroe – Bronx as the program's all-time single-season and career leader in several categories, including the most points (733), steals (150), and assists (143).
 
For the contest, Monroe outscored RCSJ Gloucester County in the paint, 18-2, and had the advantage with point off turnovers, 27-12.
 
Monroe – Bronx got off to a strong start to the consolation contest as both a 3-point field goal and then a layup by Newsome propelled the Express to a 5-0 advantage, just over four minutes into the game. The Roadrunners answered back with six straight points to take a 6-5 benefit. Rookie guard Angeleny Cobos put the Express in front once again, thanks to a triple, to make it 8-6 in favor of her team with 4:08 to go in the stanza. 
 
Later in the period, with Monroe up 10-9, RCJS Gloucester County answered with seven unanswered points to take a 16-10 benefit with 1:32 to go. The Express ended the quarter on a strong note as a successful shot from downtown by Moorer sliced Monroe's deficit in half, at 16-13, with 1:16 left. That concluded the scoring for the first quarter. 
 
The Express fell behind, 30-23, with just 2:52 left in the second quarter. From that point, Monroe took control of the remainder of the first half as a layup by Smith began an 11-3 run by the Express to close out the period. During the blitz, Monroe trailed by a score of 33-28. Smith executed another layup to make it a one-possession game. Then, the Express' defense forced a turnover as Moorer grabbed a steal and found Smith, who converted a fast-break layup to pull her team to within one. Just a few second later, it was déjà vu as Moorer forced another steal but this time, she was the one that connected with a layup to put Monroe ahead, 34-33, with nine ticks left on the clock. The Roadrunners could not convert on a 3-point shot as the time expired and the Express went into the intermission up by one.  
 
Monroe – Bronx came storming out of the gate in the third quarter, opening the stanza on a 10-1 run, highlighted by two layups from Moorer, to take a commanding 44-34 hold with 5:26 remining in the frame. The Roadrunners scored the next four points to pull to within six, but then Cobos drained a timely 3-point basket to extend the Blue and Gold's lead to 47-38. That began a run of nine unanswered points for the Express, capped off by a successful jump shot from Smith, to equal the Express' largest lead of the afternoon, at 53-38, with 2:57 left in the third. Rowan College South Jersey managed to pull to within 11 before the end of the quarter.
 
Gloucester County drained a triple to pull to within eight at the start of the fourth quarter. Monroe quickly cut off the opposition's momentum as a layup by Moorer sparked five straight points to pad the Express' benefit to 13. The latter three points in that blitz were scored thanks to a conventional three-point play courtesy of Newsome which extended Monroe's vantage to 60-47 with 6:27 to go. 
 
The Roadrunners rallied to cut the deficit to eight with 4:09 left. Each team held each other scoreless for the next three minutes, but Newsome ended the scoring drought by draining a jumper to put Monroe back up by double digits, at 62-52, with 1:09 left. That ended up being the final score and the Express concluded their successful season on a high note. 
 
"It's always a good feeling to get a win, especially in this environment and on this stage," Ling said.
 
For Monroe, sophomore forward Xing Stewart-Greer and rookie forward Da'Mya Cheatham each grabbed four rebounds and dished out an assist, with the former also forcing a steal. 
 
For the Roadrunners, second-year forward Tireya Wyatt scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds, and collected a pair of steals. Sophomore forward Maxine Ampofo provided seven points and nine rebounds. 
 
The Monroe College – Bronx women's basketball team will return to the court in November of 2024. 
 
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).