HUTCHISON, Kan. -- The Three Rivers Raiders beat Monroe in the opening round of the NJCAA national tournament, 81-69 on Tuesday afternoon.
TRCC led 37-32 at the half and then pulled away in the second half for the 12-point win.
Bell City's Nick Niemczyk was the leading scorer for the Raiders with 25 points. Marquise Carter scored 15, including ending 11 of 12 from the free throw line. Josh Terry added 13 and pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out six assists.
Charleston's Jamarcus Williams added eight points for the Raiders while Portageville's Byron Wright scored three points.
TRCC shot 48 percent for the game while limiting Monroe to 38 percent shooting, including 10 percent from behind the arc.
The Raiders will face Northwest Florida College at 6 p.m. Wednesday night in the NJCAA quarterfinals.