MBB Tops Lesley For Third Straight Win

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Lesley University's second half push came up short on Saturday afternoon as Mitchell College held on late to sweep the regular season series over the Lynx with a 71-65 win in New England Collegiate Conference men's basketball action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

The Mariners improved to 10-11 on the year and 7-6 in NECC play. The win also clinched a berth in the 2015 NECC Championship for Mitchell. The Lynx, who have dropped four of their last five games by single digits, fell to 2-21 overall and 2-12 in the league. 

The Mariners raced out to a 17-3 advantage over the game's opening six minutes. Seniors Joshua Ford and Parris Hill led the charge during the streak as they combined for 13 points. The Mitchell offense stayed hot as a layup by freshman Josh Maynard extended the lead to 19, 29-10, with 10:09 remaining in the half. 

The Lynx finally received a spark as junior Chris Barletta connected for an old-fashioned three-point play that led the guests to a 16-5 run to close out the half. The Lynx trailed 34-26 at the break as Ford and junior Corbin Polec led their respective sides with 11 points apiece.

The Lesley comeback continued after the break as a triple by senior Justin Rosa cut the Mitchell lead to three, 42-39, with12:30 on the clock. A Rosa steal and layup on the ensuing Mariners possession brought the Lynx to within one before Maynard knocked down a pair of free throws to push the host's lead back to four. 

The Lynx did not go away, and back-to-back three-pointers by Rosa and Polec gave Lesley its first lead of the day, 47-44, with just under 11 minutes to play. 

The lead didn't last long, however, as the Mariners answered with a 10-4 stretch capped by a Wyatt Springer trey. Mitchell took the lead during the span and never trailed again as it held on for the 71-65 victory. 

Ford led the way for the hosts, posting a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds while Hill dumped in a team-high 19 points to go with his six boards. Junior Donavan McClean added 13 points for the hosts and sophomore Keith Lanham finished with six points and a team-best seven boards. 

Rosa recorded his seventh straight game in double figures, finishing with a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Jacob DiDomenico added 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor while corralling six boards. Polec went a perfect 4-of-4 from deep on his way to 14 points while Barletta added nine points and four rebounds. Sophomore Terrell Toney led all players with six assists to go with his four points. 

Mitchell will next host Daniel Webster College on Tuesday, February 17 at 5:30 p.m. The game will be the first part of the "Whiteout" doubleheader. The first 200 Mitchell students at the game will receive free t-shirts, and the event will feature food, contests and prizes.