NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 4 Monroe University – Bronx women's basketball team suffered its first loss to an NJCAA Division III team this season with an 87-67 defeat at the hands of Region 15 rival Bronx Community College, at Monroe Athletic Complex, on Tuesday evening. 

The Express snap their 13-game winning streak and fall to 9-1 in the region (20-2 overall). The Broncos have now won seven games in a row to advance to 10-2 against regional opponents and 14-4 for the season. 

Monroe led by five in the opening minute of the second quarter, but Bronx dominated the second half, outscoring Monroe by a 48-32 margin during the final 20 minutes of the contest. 

The big difference in the game was the shooting as the Broncos shot 46.0% from the field (29-for-63), while the Express only converted 28.4% (23-for-81) of their opportunities from the floor. 

Both teams displayed strong defensive pressure in the early stages of the contest, forcing several turnovers. Monroe scored the first three points of the game courtesy of free throws by Salimah Williams. The Broncos jumped out to a 4-3 benefit, but Monroe responded with four straight points, capped off by the home team's first field goal of the game courtesy of Aneyah McLamb with 6:14 remaining in the opening period, to give the Blue and Gold a 7-4 advantage.

From that point, Bronx snatched the momentum with nine unanswered points, concluding with a successful jumper by Destiny Davis, to put Monroe in a 13-7 hole. 

Salimah Williams got the Express back on track with a jumper to end Monroe's scoring drought and shrink Bronx's lead to four with 3:22 to go in the stanza. That bucket began a string of seven consecutive points for Monroe that was capped by a 3-point basket by Beverly Williams which gave the Blue and Gold the lead again at 14-13 with 1:31 to play in the opening period.

Bronx responded with three straight points to put Monroe in a 16-14 deficit. However, in the closing seconds of the period, Salimah Williams dribbled down the court and found a wide-open Lea Tavarez on the left wing who drained a wide-open 3-point dagger at the buzzer to catapult Monroe to a 17-16 edge after 10 minutes of play. 

The Express got off to a strong start in the second quarter as a layup by McLamb extended Monroe's lead to 21-16, its largest of the evening. The Broncos responded as a jumper by Destiny Dickerson ended the Express' 7-0 run and pulled the visiting team to within three.  Later, Davis drained a jump shot which closed a 6-0 run by Bronx and put Monroe behind, 22-21, with 7:33 to go until the intermission.

From that point, there were six lead changes and six ties before the end of the first half. Bronx was the one with the upper hand as they finished the frame with a 6-0 run to take a 39-35 advantage into the break. 

The third quarter was a struggle for Monroe as a 3-point field goal by Anas Matos ballooned Bronx's lead to 55-47 with 4:10 left in the period. The Broncos eventually padded their cushion to 61-47 with 3:05 left on the clock. Bronx kept piling it on as a 3-point field goal by Akela Robertson put Monroe in a 64-47 hole with 2:29 remaining in the third, concluding a 13-0 run by the visitors. Later, Akira Robertson struck from deep to give the Broncos a commanding 70-49 hold with 41 ticks left before the end of the third. The Express were able to close the gap and cut the deficit to 18 (72-54) heading into the final period of regulation play.

Bronx did not allow Monroe to get closer as the visiting team built its lead up to 23 before earning the 87-67 Region 15 win.

Leading the way for Monroe during the contest was McLamb who produced a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while forcing four steals. Salimah Williams compiled 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

For Bronx, Davis had a double-double with 23 points and 12 boards, while delivering four helpers. Kolonnie Green had game-highs of 16 rebounds and 12 blocks, while adding eight points, four steals, and a trio of assists. Matos recorded 18 points and seven caroms, while Akira Robertson scored 12 points. Akela Robertson chipped in with 10 points.

The Express will look to bounce back on Thursday evening with another Region 15 contest, this time against LaGuardia Community College. Tipoff at the Monroe Athletic Complex is set for 6 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, 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).