The fatal shooting in Hempstead of 19-year-old Amira McCleod shocked her teammates on the Monroe University women’s basketball team and left them devastated.

No one would have blamed the team had they chosen to skip Tuesday evening's matchup in Selden against Suffolk County Community College. But, by unanimous decision, the Express elected to play in honor of McCleod, a sophomore guard from Queens .

They did their fallen teammate right. Amid the tragedy, Monroe was able to keep it together and beat Suffolk, 69-48.

Coach Damel Ling told Newsday before the game inside Brookhaven Gymnasium that the New Rochelle-based college's administration asked him Sunday morning if he wanted to cancel.

"I said, ‘It's not on me, it's on them.’ I asked the question to them, and in less than five m

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