BRONX - The Monroe University - Bronx women's and men's basketball teams will open up the Region 15 Postseason on Tuesday evening at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Both teams enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed. It will be a doubleheader as the women's program will battle No. 6-seeded Suffolk County Community College at 6:00 p.m. and then the men's team will battle sixth-seeded Queensborough Community College around 25 minutes after the conclusion of the women's contest.

The winner of the opening round playoff games will play in the regional semifinals on the campus of Kingsborough Community College on Saturday afternoon. The Region 15 Playoff schedule for the women can be seen here, while the men's format can be found at this link.

Fans can attend Tuesday's games for free. For those who are not able to make it, both games will be video streamed at MonroeExpress.com/Watch. Live stats for the women's game can be accessed here, while the live stats for the men's contest can be found at this link.

The Express women's basketball team (19-9) is ranked No. 12 in the country and won both regular season matchups over the Sharks this year. Monroe has won seven straight games overall over Suffolk County (7-11). The Express are also the reigning three-time Region 15 and Northeast District Champions. Freshman Beverly Williams has been leading the way for Monroe - Bronx this year with averages of 15.6 points, 3.8 steals, 3.5 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Makira Bunsie was named the NJCAA Division III National Player of the Week on December 4. She has produced eight double-doubles so far this season and is generating 13.0 points and 8.3 boards per contest. 

For the Sharks, freshman Aryanna Zito is scoring 11.1 points, producing 3.8 assists, clutching just as many rebounds, and forcing 2.3 steals per game in 2024-25. Rookie Megan Popielaski is compiling 4.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per outing.

On the men's side, the Express (18-10) will look to secure its fourth straight trip to the regional semifinals. This marks the second year in a row that Monroe will host Queensborough (11-11) in the regional quarterfinal round. The Express won last season's playoff matchup in an overtime thriller, 77-76. In fact, the last three games the Express have hosted the Tigers, Monroe earned the win in overtime. Overall, Monroe- Bronx has a five-game winning streak over Queensborough. 

Leading the way for the Express this year has been freshman Dimitre Alston who has been named the NJCAA Division III National Player of the Week three times. He is averaging 20.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game this season. Classmate Paolo Avvento is recording 10.8 points and 3.8 boards per contest. 

For the Tigers, sophomore Williams Guzman is averaging a double-double per game with 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds. Freshman Diego Cruz Lopez is scoring 15.9 points and snatching 4.7 boards per contest.

For updates regarding the Monroe - Bronx women's and men's basketball teams' run in the Region 15 Postseason, check out www.MonroeExpress.com as well as our social media channels. 

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.