Mitchell Falls to Mount Saint Vincent in Tip-Off Finals

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The College of Mount Saint Vincent men's basketball team captured the inaugural Mitchell College Tip-Off Tournament championship by a 96-79 final over the host Mariners on Saturday afternoon at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Mount Saint Vincent improved to 3-0 overall on the season while Mitchell dropped to 1-3. Earlier in the day, Mount Ida College (1-1 overall) topped Green Mountain College (0-2) by a final score of 95-39 in the consolation game.

Championship Game – Mount Saint Vincent 96, Mitchell 79

Junior Omonya Onwe netted a tournament-high 32 points and added seven rebounds to propel the Dolphins to the title. Mount Saint Vincent forced 27 turnovers that led to 32 points and finished with 16 steals.

Onwe, who averaged 28 points and six rebounds over the two-day tournament, was named Most Outstanding Player and was joined by junior Cody Gauvard on the all-tournament team. Gauvard finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in the title game while senior Alvin Pegues added 13 points and a game-high seven assists and classmate Dino Johnson tacked on 12 points.

Junior Julio Contreras earned a spot on the All-tournament Team by leading the Mariners with a career-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Senior Jenel Russell scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half to finish in double figures.

Mitchell led 13-12 with 11:43 to go in the first half following a three-pointer by freshman Tim Quinn. The Dolphins took the lead back on the ensuing possession thanks to a jumper by freshman Chris Bonaventura and then forced four straight turnovers and turned them into points. The result was a 10-0 run over a near two-minute stretch that put Mount Saint Vincent up for good.

The Dolphins led 41-30 at the break and never let their lead slip under 11 points in the second half. Onwe scored 21 of his 32 points in the stanza and was 8-of-11 from the floor. Mount Saint Vincent shot 51 percent for the contest and held a 39-32 edge on the glass.

Contreras missed only one field goal attempt in the second half and piled up 19 of his 27 points over the final 20 minutes. Russell grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to notch his sixth career double-double. Mitchell shot 53 percent from the floor and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line in the game.

Mitchell returns to action on Tuesday, November 23 at home against Coast Guard. Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m. Mount Saint Vincent will next play at NYU-POLY on Monday, November 22 at 7 p.m.

Consolation Game – Mount Ida 95, Green Mountain 39

Sophomore Nick Montanino had game highs of 31 points and 12 rebounds to lead Mount Ida to victory in the consolation match-up. Senior Brian Hapgood did his teammate one better, recording a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

Senior Aaron Ashton led Green Mountain with 20 points and added four rebounds. Classmate Matt Tarricone finished with seven points and three boards and was the final All-Tournament Team selection.

Mount Ida scored off the opening tip and never trailed in the contest. The Mustangs steadily added to the lead over the course of the period and were ahead 51-16 at the break. Mount Ida shot 60 percent from the floor and finished with 29 assists on 43 field goals. Freshman Xavier Wade and junior Jimmy Wenz also scored in double figures for the Mustangs with 18 and 17 points, respectively.

Hapgood, a four-year letterwinner for the Mustangs, made only his third career start and finished with career highs in all three major categories. With double-digit points and assists already under his belt, he pulled down his 10th rebound with 3:22 remaining in the contest to the delight of the Mount Ida bench.

Despite playing with only five players for the second straight day, Green Mountain improved its shooting percentage to 37 percent from the floor and went 5-for-10 from three-point range. Ashton and freshman Daniel Fifield each drained a pair of treys in the losing effort. 

Mount Ida will next host Newbury College on Tuesday, November 23 at 6 p.m. Green Mountain won't play again until it hosts New England College on December 7 at 6 p.m.

All-Tournament Team
Matt Tarricone, Green Mountain
Brian Hapgood, Mount Ida
Julio Contreras, Mitchell
Cody Gauvard, Mount Saint Vincent
Omonya Onwe, Mount Saint Vincent

Most Outstanding Player
Omonya Onwe, Mount Saint Vincent