MBB Comes Up Short vs. Wheelock

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Spurred by a career-high 43 points from Anthony Williams, Wheelock College held on to post an 88-87 victory over Mitchell College on Thursday night in New England Collegiate Conference men's basketball action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Despite the big night from Williams, Mitchell still had a chance at the win in the final seconds of the contest. However, the Wildcats played tough defense over the final 13.6 seconds, denying a post entry and forcing the Mariners into a desperation heave at the buzzer that went wide.

Williams shot 20-for-26 from the floor and also added 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats (4-11 overall, 1-5 NECC) to their first conference win of the season. Nicholas Fenton also finished with a double-double of 10 points and a game-high 13 assists while Derek Fournier shot 6-for-10 from deep en route to 22 points.

Mitchell (5-9 overall, 3-4 NECC) was paced by 31 points from Parris Hill, who finished 12-for-16 from the field and pulled down eight rebounds. Donavan McClean netted 18 of his 20 points in the second half while Joshua Ford and Devonta Mosley also scored in double figures with 16 and 10 points, respectively.

Wheelock came out firing to start the game and raced out to a 15-point advantage over the opening 8:11. The Wildcats did their damage from deep, making their first five three-point field goal attempts of the contest. Fournier nailed a pair of three-balls during the stretch, and a trey by Blake McNamara put Wheelock on top 25-10.

The Wildcats held onto a double-digit lead until Mitchell cut into the margin over the final five minutes of the half. Hill almost single-handedly brought the Mariners back, scoring nine points in an 11-0 run that included a pair of three-point plays. He finished the half with 23 points as Mitchell closed the deficit to 45-41 at the break. Williams led Wheelock at intermission with 16 points.

Wheelock opened the second half with a 10-2 run over the first 1:56 of the stanza to pump the lead back to double digits. Williams scored twice during the span while Fournier added a pair of three-pointers as the lead swelled to 55-44.

Mitchell quickly made up the deficit by scoring 10 straight points over a 1:22 stretch. The Mariners sped up the game with full-court pressure and forced Wheelock into a pair of turnovers. Mosley and Hill contributed back-to-back dunks on the break to cap the run as Mitchell closed the gap to 57-56 with 14:57 remaining.

Neither team led by more than five points the rest of the way as the final 14:00 featured five ties and eight lead changes. With the score tied at 85-85 with just over a minute to go, Fenton came off a screen at the top of the key and drew a help defender before kicking out to Fournier on the wing. Fournier buried his final three of the game to put the Wildcats in front for good, although a pair of free throws by Hill on the ensuing possession made it a one-point game.

On Wheelock's final possession, Williams hoisted up a shot as the shot clock ran down for one of his few misses on the night. Ford pulled down the rebound—his 10th of the game—and the Mariners crossed half court before calling timeout with 13.6 seconds remaining.

Mitchell looked to Ford in the post on the final play but could not get him the ball. An errant pass to the wing left the Mariners with little time for a quality shot, and a heave before the buzzer failed to even draw iron.

Mitchell will host Becker College on Saturday, January 24 at 1 p.m. Wheelock returns to action at home against Newbury College on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Pine Manor College.