MBB Holds Off Becker to Advance to NECC Finals

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Mitchell College junior Parris Hill netted a game-high 29 points and tied for the team high in rebounds with 11 to help the second-seeded Mariners best No. 3 Becker College, 87-78, in Friday evening's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship semifinal men's basketball game at Picknelly Arena. 

With the win, Mitchell improves to 18-7 overall and advances to its first-ever NECC Championship title game. The Mariners will play top-seeded Elms College, which topped No. 5 Regis College 81-71 in overtime in the other semifinal contest. The championship game will take place on Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. at Picknelly Arena. Becker concludes its season 15-12 overall. 

Hill led all scorers with 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-6 from the line, while senior Joshua Ford and sophomore Frank Martin each netted 21 points each to help spark the Mariners' win. Ford was 8-of-17 from the field and also added 11 rebounds, while Martin drilled five treys en route to his 21 points. 

Senior Alex Del Rio was terrific in guiding the Mitchell offense, tying a career high with 10 assists. Junior Alex Pires also drained a pair of crucial three-pointers in the first half and finished with six points. 

Becker received a stellar 24-point effort from Kyle Credle, who hit on 11-of-17 from the floor, while Tyler Roberson went 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and finished with 22 points. Scott Dulaire was impressive off the bench, notching 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting and corralling a game-high 12 rebounds. Roberson and Donovin Ford-Hayes dished out three assists each, while Ford-Hayes chipped in seven points in the losing effort. 

Dulaire swatted four shots for the Hawks and David Maturah contributed a pair of blocks. 

The first half featured back-and-forth action as Credle and Hill went toe-to-toe and finished with 12 points each in the period. Ford added 11 points for the Mariners, who shot 52 percent from the field as a team. Mitchell led 38-29 lead at intermission and never trailed in the second half.

In the second stanza, Becker methodically closed the gap and with 5:41 to play in regulation, narrowed its deficit to four (64-60) when Rashaun Liggon hit a jumper. However, that's as close as the Hawks could get as Anthony Epps powered in a bucket underneath and converted the ensuing free throw after being fouled to extend the lead back to seven (67-60). Martin then made a pair of foul shots and delivered a strike from three-point range run the lead to 12 at 72-60 with 4:37 to play. 

Another Martin swish from long distance gave Mitchell its largest advantage of the game (15 points) and set the score to 77-62 with 2:49 to play.

A Roberson layup pulled Becker to within seven with just under a minute to play, but four made free throws by Martin and a dunk by Hill helped seal the 87-78 victory.