NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., February 5, 2022 – Naomi Barnwell's double-double highlighted several impressive performances for the Monroe College Mustangs women's basketball team in an 80-58 victory over Div. III No. 10 Hostos Community College Saturday afternoon at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The Mustangs improve to 11-12 overall with the win, while the Caimans fall to 10-3.
 
Barnwell finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to complete the double-double in Saturday's win, adding five assists, three blocks and three steals in an all-around stellar game for the French freshman. Olivia Medford just missed a double-double in two different ways, leading all scorers with 24 points to go with nine rebounds, eight steals and three assists. Daja Wentz also nearly got there as well with 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. Sara Carvajal-Caro provided a boost off the bench with 14 points and three boards.
 
Both teams looked evenly matched throughout the first quarter of Saturday's contest. Hostos took a 5-2 lead on a three by Daniela Gomez Salazar, but Medford evened it out with a three of her own. The Mustangs then went up by three, only for the Caimans to take a 10-9 lead shortly after. Barnwell hit a layup to put the Mustangs back on top, but the Caimans scored the final four points of the period to take a 14-11 lead into the second.
 
Savannah Williams opened the second with a three for the Caimans, but the Mustangs turned the tables with the next 10 points to take a 21-17 lead, including a pair of threes by Aysia Pink and Wentz. After a two by Hostos, Monroe followed that up with a 10-2 run to go up, 31-21. Medford hit a jumper with 2:51 on the clock to put Monroe up, 35-24, but that was the end of the Mustangs' scoring for the half, as Hostos closed out the second with nine straight points, sending the game to the half with Monroe on top, 35-33.
 
It was all Mustangs to open the second half, as they scored the first eight points to take a 10-point lead. After a three by Hostos' Dimon Walker, the Mustangs scored another 10 straight to go up, 53-36. Hostos scored three more points, but the Mustangs scored the final four of the third to take a 57-39 advantage into the fourth.
 
The Mustangs opened the fourth on an 8-3 run to take a 23-point advantage. Hostos made three free throws, but Sara Carvajal-Caro made two-straight jumpers from the baseline to push the lead to 69-45. The Caimans rebounded with a 10-3 run to get within 17, but a jumper by Barnwell halted the run. Ayanna Brown finished a three-point play for Hostos with 1:20 to go, but Barnwell provided the final six points of the game to give the Mustangs the 80-58 victory.
 
The Mustangs forced 31 turnovers in the win, compared to just 18 by the Caimans. This led to a 32-8 edge in points off turnovers for Monroe. Monroe shot 42.7 percent from the field (32-of-75) in the game, while Hostos made just 31.3 percent (21-of-67) of its shot attempts.