THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Monroe University – Bronx men's basketball team dropped its Region 15 contest to local rival Hostos Community College, 96-81, at Monsignor Scanlan Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
 
The contest was tied at 43 after 20 minutes of play but Hostos outscored Monroe, 53-38, during the second half. 
 
The Express (12-8, 8-4 Region 15) played well during the opening period as a tip-in layup by sophomore David Malone gave the home team a 39-34 advantage with 3:33 left before the break. The Caimans (15-4, 9-2 Region 15) countered with five straight points to tie it up. After each team scored two more points to knot the game at 41, Malone provide another tip-in layup with 18 seconds left to put the Blue and Gold up by a score of 43-41. On the next possession, freshman Blake Buckhannan of Hostos drained two free throws with 13 seconds left to even it up at 43 and that was the score heading into the intermission.
 
Monroe fell behind 45-44 in the early stages of the second stanza, but a layup by freshman Paolo Avvento gave his team a one-point edge with 16:29 remaining in regulation time. Hostos took over the game from that point with a 14-2 run to jump out to a commanding 59-48 hold with 13:10 left to play. Monroe chipped away as a free throw by freshman Haley Guillen pulled the home team to within 60-55 with 11:17 to go. Unfortunately for the Express, that's as close as they got the rest of the way as the Caimans went on a 13-5 to pad their advantage to 73-60 with 8:05 to go. In fact, Hostos went up by as many as 16 on its way to the 96-81 victory.
 
For Monroe during the evening, Avvento and freshman Dimitre Alston each scored 19 points with the former grabbing seven rebounds and forcing two steals while the latter added six boards and a trio of assists. Sophomore Rene Williams had a monster game on the glass with 17 rebounds and he also blocked five shots. Malone had a double-double with 12 points and 15 caroms. Sophomore Jayden Gamory provided 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Rookie Haley Guillen tallied 10 points, five steals, and three rebounds. Classmate Malike Smart gathered six caroms. 
 
For Hostos, sophomore Tyrese Conway led the way with a game-high 32 points, shooting 6-for-7 from 3-point range in the process, while securing seven rebounds, gathering six steals, and blocking a pair of shots. Freshman Harry Bonilla generated 15 points, eight assists, and three steals. Rookie Jahmere Campbell scored eight points and had just as many rebounds to go along with nine steals and seven assists. Buckhannan also provided eight points
 
Monroe – Bronx will host NJCAA Division II Jamestown Community College on Sunday at Monsignor Scanlan Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 2:00 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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