Bronx, N.Y. - The Swamp hosted a battle of nationally ranked women's basketball programs last night with the #9 Caimans hosting the #5 Monroe College Express. The battle for first place in Region XV was hard faught battle but the Monroe Express prevailed winning the contest by a final score of 63-47. With the loss the Caimans fall to 8-2 overall and 3-2 in Region XV.

The Express imposed their will defensively from the opening tip holding the Caimans to 18.2% from the field (4-for-22 FG) and 25% from the field overall (18-for-72 FG) and forced 27 Hostos Community College turnovers and scored 14 points off of them. In addition, the Express dominated the scoring in the paint 30-18 despite being outrebounded by the Caimans 54-44 while recording 10 plus steals and assists for the 12th season with 10 steals and 17 assists, respectively.  
 
After both teams exchanged the lead four times and tied once through the first 6:11 of the first quarter, the Express seized the momentum and never relinquished the lead using a 12-0 run to build their lead up to double-digits for the first time, 10 points (18-8), on a Diallo layup at 2:34. Hostos got the deficit down to single digits at 1:51 on a Myandra Duquesnay layup to make it 18-10, then Shashauna Ballantyne nailed a jumper with 52 seconds left, and Ayana Brown went 1-for-2 at the line to cut the Express's lead back down to nine, 20-11 after one.
 
Bryant converted a three-point play seven seconds into the second quarter to stretch the Express lead to its largest of the first half, 12 points (23-11), before the Caimans put together a 7-1 run to trim the deficit down to six, 24-18 at 5:50 on a Dimon Walker layup. Monroe-Bronx registered eight of the final 13 points going into halftime up 32-23.
 
The Express held the Caimans to nine points in the third quarter, scoring them 13-5 through the first seven and a half minutes to increase their lead to 17, 45-28 at 2:46 on a Bryant three-pointer carrying a 46-32 advantage into the final stanza.
 
Monroe-Bronx never looked back in the fourth, increasing their lead to its largest of the night to twice, 19 points (61-42) at 2:59 on a Traverso three-pointer and at the 1:32 mark when she converted on a layup to make it 63-44 en route to the Express's first season sweep of Hostos C.C. in program history.
 
Starr Garcia led Hostos Community College with a team-high 12 points while Savannah Williams hauled down a team-best 12 rebounds and dished out a team-best two assists. Myandra Duquesnay chipped in with 10 rebounds of her own, and Ayanna Brown turned away a game-best tied three shots.

Next up for the Caimans is a road contest at CUNYAC opponent Kingsborough Community College on Tuesday, January 25 at 6:00 PM.

To stay up to date on all Caiman action visit www.hostosathletics.com and on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube @hostosathletics.