NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Monroe College men’s basketball team extended its winning streak to six games on Thursday, with an 85-67 victory over Mercer County College in a game played in West Windsor, New Jersey. Four Mustangs finished in double-figures.
The game was even early on as neither side could gain a foothold on the lead. Finally, with the game even at 5-5, Monroe used a 10-2 run to take a 15-7 lead. Taquan Givens accounted for six of the points, while Shackquiel Scott and Hampus Ahlin each had a bucket. A Will Tavares three-pointer at 12:47 gave the Mustangs a 14-point cushion, 26-12. A Felix Carlsson jumper a minute later gave Monroe its largest lead of the half, 15 points. The team led at the break, 44-36.
Lawahn Lewis opened the second half with a trifecta and the lead got back to double-digits. The lead got as large as 21 points on three different occasions in the half. The first time came on a Tavares layup with 5:42 left. The team went on to win 85-67.
Taquan Givens finished with a game-high 22 points on 7-11 shooting, including 4-6 from behind the three-point line. Scott totaled 17 on 8-11 from the field. Ahlin and Carlsson each had a dozen. As a team, Monroe shot 33-63 (52.4%) in the victory. The team has won six in a row and now boasts a 10-3 overall mark.
The Monroe College men’s basketball team returns to action on Saturday, December 12, when they travel to Baltimore, Maryland to compete in the Baltimore City College Tournament. The Mustangs open play that day against Chesapeake College at 1:00 PM.