East District Men’s Basketball Championship: Monroe Mustangs vs. Hagerstown

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 5, 2020 – The champions of Region XV and Region XX are on a collision course, as the Monroe College Mustangs men's basketball team and Hagerstown Community College will go head-to-head this Saturday, March 7, for the East District Championship, with an automatic bid to Hutchinson, Kan., for the 2020 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships on the line. EAST DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION: When: Saturday, March 7 – 2:00 PM Where: Monroe Athletic Complex – New Rochelle, NY Admission: FREE OF CHARGE (Free giveaways for those in attendance) LIVE COVERAGE: Live Video: https://youtube.com/monroemustangs Live Stats: https://monroecollegemustangs.com/sidearmstats/mbball HOW WE GOT HERE: The Mustangs reached the 2020 East District Championship by winning the Region XV Championship Tournament. Monroe opened last week with a semifinal matchup against ASA College on Tuesday. The Mustangs were victorious in that game, 96-73, and advanced to Friday's championship game against Harcum. The region championship game was one for the ages, as it took double overtime to determine a winner. The Mustangs got the final leg-up on the Bears, coming out victorious, 90-87, to claim the region title. Hagerstown entered the Region XX Championship as the tournament's top seed. The two-day, two-game tournament hosted by Allegany College of Maryland saw Allegany defeat Harford Community College, 110-74, in Saturday's semifinal matchup. The Hawks then edged out the Trojans in Sunday's final, 82-78, to take home the Region XX Championship and earn their spot in the district championship game. MATCHUP HISTORY: As nearby district foes, the Mustangs and Hawks have plenty of history with each other. The two teams have played twice this season, both times back in November. The Mustangs won the first contest in New Rochelle, 78-64, before narrowly edging out the Hawks on their home court, 82-81. Monroe has won 11 of the last 12 matchups between the Mustangs and Hawks, dating back to the 2012-13 season. The last time the Mustangs and Hawks played for the district championship was back on March 10, 2012, when Monroe rolled to an 88-55 victory. Hagerstown defeated the Mustangs on March 7, 2009, in the district championship game by a score of 70-66.