Monroe Mustangs Women’s Basketball Opens New Year with Road Victory at Harcum

BRYN MAWR, Pa., January 8, 2019 – Playing for the first time since before the New Year, the Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team did not need any time to shake off the rust, defeating Harcum College on the road, 87-56, Tuesday evening. The Mustangs improve to 12-4 overall with the win, while Harcum falls to 10-5. The Mustangs put up some great individual efforts in Tuesday's win. Aneisha Lyons registered a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Courtney Irabor also had a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. Both Lyons and Irabor dished out four assists apiece. Devon Adams led all scorers with 22 points, narrowly missing a double-double with nine rebounds. Phyness Baldwin had team-highs with nine assists and five steals. Shanice Gravescontributed 11 points, while Trayvell Jenkins added 10. The Mustangs looked dominant from the opening tip, running out to a quick 10-0 lead in less than three minutes. The Bears got back within six with 5:35 to play in the first quarter, but an 11-0 run for Monroe pushed the lead to 23-6. The Mustangs closed out the opening period with a 26-11 advantage. The Bears chipped away at the deficit, getting back within eight with 5:06 to play in the half. Later, a three by Emily Brown made it a five-point game, but the Mustangs responded with five straight points to go back up by double digits. Brown got the Bears back within eight, but Adams closed out the half with a pair of free throws to leave Monroe up, 44-34, at the break. Monroe grabbed the momentum early in the third quarter, opening the new frame with six straight points to go up by 16. Late in the third, the Mustangs quickly turned a 17-point advantage into a 27-point edge, closing out the half on a 10-0 run to take a 72-45 lead into the fourth quarter. Monroe continued to roll in the final frame, pushing the lead to a game-high 31 points with 1:34 left to play. The Bears were able to put up a few more points down the stretch, but a pair of free throws by Jenkins in the final minute once again put the Mustangs up by 31 for good. The Mustangs were dominant on the boards, outrebounding their hosts, 55-36. They also forced 26 turnovers while giving the ball away just 17 times. Monroe shot 42.3 percent from the field on Tuesday, while holding Harcum to 33.3 percent shooting. The Mustangs return "home" on Thursday, Jan. 10, when they are hosted by their Monroe College Bronx campus counterparts, the Monroe Express, at the Monroe Athletic Complex. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 27 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.