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Monroe Mustangs Men’s Basketball Drops Final Florida Contest to No. 25 Eastern Florida State
MELBOURNE, Fla., January 1, 2019 – In the team's final day in Florida and at the Josh Artis Memorial Classic, the Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team dropped an 81-70 decision to host and No. 25-ranked Eastern Florida State College Tuesday afternoon at the Titan Field House. The Mustangs finish their trip down south with a 3-1 record and come home at 11-5 overall, while the Titans improve to 13-4. The Mustangs took an early 7-0 advantage, capped off by Lovro Bulesic's three-pointer. The Titans then rallied back to tie things up at 13-13 on a three by Nathanael Jack. The Titan momentum continued, as the home team went on to take a 37-27 lead with 2:53 left in the first half. The Mustangs did not let the Titans cruise into the half, responding with a 10-point run to tie the game with six seconds left before the break. Eastern Florida State's Jalen Warren made a pair of free throws before the buzzer, sending the game to the half with a 39-37 score in favor of the Titans. Juan Felix Rodriguez led the Mustangs with 10 points through the first 20 minutes. Elijah Mitchell added nine off the bench, while both Mustangs dished out a pair of assists. The Titans led by as many as eight points early on in the second frame, but an 8-0 run by Monroe tied the game at 48-48. The Mustangs later grabbed a 55-53 lead after a three-point play by Zion Styles, but the Titans took the lead back on another three by Jack. The Titans held the momentum from there, leading by as many as 16 points before hanging on to win by 11. Mitchell finished with the team lead of 17 points on Tuesday. Rodriguez and Styles matched with 14 points apiece, adding three and four steals, respectively. Will Martinez picked up 11 points off the bench. The Mustangs return to New Rochelle for six straight games at home this month. The home stretch begins on Saturday, Jan. 5, when they host Harford Community College at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.
