MBB Closes Out Regular Season with Win Over Wheelock

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a 100-81 victory over Wheelock College on Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Five players scored in double figures as Mitchell (13-11 overall, 9-7 NECC) topped the century mark for the third time this season. Junior Joshua Ford led the Mariners with 26 points on 11-for-12 shooting and added eight rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes.

Bashir Hudson led all scorers with 28 points and became the fifth player in Wheelock history to surpass 1,000 career points. He also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to notch his 16th double-double of the season.

The Mariners never trailed in the contest as Ford provided the game's first points with a three-pointer from the wing. Mitchell later led 13-10 before ripping off eight unanswered points to increase the margin to double digits. Junior Anthony Epps had a pair of baskets during the run, including a steal and breakaway dunk that made it 21-10 with 11:25 to play in the half.

Hudson scored 15 points in the first half as the Wildcats struggled to keep it close. Mitchell's lead grew to 19 following a three-pointer by sophomore Trace Lanson with 5:36 remaining, and the margin was the same with under two minutes to go when Wheelock made a run to close the gap. Hudson poured in seven straight points to cut the deficit to 12, but a buzzer-beating lay-up by freshman Winston Wilcenski gave the Mariners a 47-33 lead at the break.

Wheelock pulled to within 11 in the second half following a three-pointer by Daniel Higgins, but that would be as close as it would get. Mitchell quickly responded with a 9-0 run behind the play of junior Alex Del Rio, who contributed five points and assisted on two other baskets during the stretch. The end result was a 67-47 Mitchell lead with 13:48 to play in the game.

Hudson, who needed 23 points entering the game to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau, reached the milestone with the first of two free throws with 9:56 remaining. The Wheelock senior finished his four-year career with 1,005 points and 698 rebounds.

Mitchell pumped the lead to as many as 25 points before coasting to the finish. The Mariners shot 63 percent as a team and went 9-for-14 from beyond the arc. Epps finished with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals while Del Rio netted 11 points and handed out nine assists. Freshman Devonta Mosley and sophomore Michael Pellegrini each chipped in with 10 points. Mosley also added five boards and six assists in 21 minutes off the bench.

Mitchell seniors Zachary Hoch and Tyrone Williams both got the starting nod on senior day and found their way into the stat sheet. Hoch had four points and a rebound while Williams finished with three points, two boards, two blocks and a pair of steals.

Higgins and Sean Semerjian joined Hudson in double figures with 19 and 13 points, respectively. Higgins shot 5-for-9 from downtown and also dished out five assists.

Wheelock ends the season with an overall record of 3-21 and 2-14 in the conference.

Mitchell is one of six teams that qualified for the 2013 NECC Championship. First round action is slated to begin on Tuesday, February 19. Seeding, match-ups and a complete schedule will be released by the conference this weekend.