Becker Pulls Away in Second Half Against MBB

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Mitchell College men's basketball team dropped a 90-75 decision to Becker College on Thursday night at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Raji Leggett led three Hawks in double figures with a game-high 29 points, shooting 10-of-15 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Becker (9-7 overall) remained undefeated in NECC play and improved to 5-0 in the conference standings. Sophomore Julio Contreras paced the Mariners (2-13 overall, 1-6 NECC) with a career-high 18 points and added five assists.

Becker wasted little time building a lead, winning the tip and getting a quick bucket by Leggett in the opening seconds. Following a jumper by Terrance Favors, Leggett converted a three-point play to put the Hawks up 7-0, and Trey Jacobs added a lay-up on the ensuing possession as Becker racked up the game's first nine points.

Mitchell shook off the slow start and battled its way back by scoring seven straight points, cutting the margin to 11-9 just over three minutes into the game. Junior Drew Norris, who finished with 12 points, hit a pair of three-pointers early in the half to spur the Mariners.

Becker pumped the lead back to eight at 22-14 with 13:47 remaining the half, but the Mariners fought back behind a 9-0 run to take their first lead at 23-22 with 10:27 to go. Senior Mike DePaolo scored five points during the stretch.

Neither team led by more than four points the rest of the half. A jumper by Leggett with 5:50 to play gave the Hawks back the lead, and they would take a 39-38 edge into the locker room at the half. Leggett and Favors combined for 23 points in the stanza as Becker shot 48 percent from the field as a team. Mitchell checked in at 47 percent but committed 10 turnovers to Becker's five.

The Hawks held on to a slim lead throughout the early stages of the second half. Mitchell kept it close behind the inspired play of junior Tyler Blier, who scored eight of the team's first 10 points in the stanza. The Mariners eventually tied the game at 50-50 on a pair of DePaolo free throws, which came as a result of a technical foul assessed on the Becker bench. Mitchell then retained possession and took its only lead of the second half on a lay-up by Contreras with 13:36 to go.

Becker took the lead right back thanks to a three-pointer by DJ Exum. The basket sparked a 9-0 run for the Hawks, who led 59-52 after Leggett capped the stretch with a lay-up. Though Mitchell clawed back to within three, Becker pulled away for good behind another 9-0 run that was fueled by five points from Leggett and four from Exum.

The Hawks led by as many as 20 points in the final minutes and shot 53 percent from the floor for the contest. Exum, playing in front of a large hometown contingent, finished with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added game highs of 10 assists and eight steals. Favors also finished in double figures with 16 points.

Mitchell shot 45 percent from the field but was only 2-of-11 from long range. Norris and Blier each finished with 12 points and seven rebounds while DePaolo chipped in with 11 points. Sophomore Alex Vess pulled down a game-high eight rebounds as the Mariners finished with a 37-31 edge on the glass.

Mitchell begins a five-game road swing at Lesley University on Saturday, January 30 at 7 p.m.