MBB Earns Big Road Win at Newbury in OT

BROOKLINE, Mass. - The Mitchell College men's basketball team picked up a key road victory at Newbury College on Thursday night, winning 82-73 in overtime. 

Mitchell (11-10 overall, 7-6 NECC) improved to 3-0 this season in overtime games. The Mariners also swept the regular season series against Newbury and remain the only conference team to beat the Nighthawks thus far. Junior Joshua Ford led four Mariners in double figures with 18 points and ripped down 13 boards.

Mitchell wasted no time and jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead to start the game. Newbury responded behind Cameron Owen, who made just his sixth start of the season. He brought the Nighthawks back by knocking down the first of his three treys to cut the deficit to two before Peterson Bernard knotted up the contest at 7-7.

Owen and Eric Watson were the sparks that kindled the Nighthawks' offense in the first half. Owen was red-hot from beyond the arc, knocking down three treys early in the contest, while Watson netted 14 of his game-high 23 points as the Nighthawks controlled the majority of the first half.

After Owen knocked down a three to give Newbury its largest lead of the half at 10, momentum swung back in favor of the Mariners. Ford netted 12 points in the stanza and led Mitchell back to even up the score at 33-33 at the break.

When the teams emerged from the locker room, junior Alex Del Rio opened the second half with a lay-up to give the Mariners a two-point lead less than 30 seconds in. But the Nighthawks answered, regaining the lead on a Watson three-pointer.

Late in the contest, Mitchell took a two-point lead on a three-pointer by Del Rio. Ford then added a lay-up to put the Mariners up 63-59 with under a minute to play. Newbury didn't go away, however, as Tim Young finished off a three-point play to cut the deficit to one. After junior Anthony Epps drove the paint for a lay-in to push the lead back to three, Young tied the game with a trey with 20 seconds remaining. Neither team scored on its final possession of regulation.

However, the overtime period belonged to the Mariners. Del Rio netted eight of his 13 points in the extra frame and dished out a game-high six assists to lead Mitchell to the nine-point victory. Epps and freshman Devonta Mosley rounded out the Mariners in double figures with 17 and 13 points, respectively. Epps also pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds to record his first career double-double, and Ford had five assists, three blocks and two steals to go with the rest of his stat line.

Watson finished two rebounds shy of his second double-double of the season, registering 23 points and eight boards while Young followed up with 17 points. Kwame Thompson and Owen rounded out the Newbury foursome in double digits with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Newbury dropped to 11-2 in the conference and 13-9 overall.

Mitchell will next play at Southern Vermont College on Monday, February 11 at 7 p.m.