MBB Eliminated by #4 Becker

LEICESTER, Mass. – Becker College defeated Mitchell College 80-75 in the first round of the 2015 New England Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Championship on Tuesday evening.

Becker opened the game on a 7-0 run that was capped by a Scott Dulaire layup. After Mitchell called a timeout, the Mariners responded with six straight points, including a three-point play on a layup by Parris Hill.

With the Hawks clinging to a 12-10 lead, Joshua Ford nailed a jumper to tie game with 13:07 remaining in the first half. Becker refused to give up the lead, scoring the next five points that included a Rashuan Liggon old fashion three-pointer.

The Mariners tied the game for the second time in the half when Wyatt Springer came off the bench to hit a three to make the score 23-23 with 7:55 on the clock. After the teams exchanged layups, a David Maturah dunk and a Donovin Ford-Hayes three put the Hawks in front 30-25. Becker went on a 7-2 run to take its largest lead of the half with 2:31 remaining.

Mitchell pulled within six with a layup by Hill and a pair of free throws from Frank Martin, but Becker closed out the half with four straight points from the charity stripe to take a 41-31 lead into the locker room.

The Hawks opened the second half with a Dulaire crowd-pleasing dunk. The bucket gave Becker a 43-31 lead, which proved to be its largest margin of the contest.

With Becker holding a 59-52 advantage, Mitchell erupted for a 9-0 run which was capped by a Devonta Mosley put-back. The two teams exchanged the lead five different times over the next two minutes. A Ford-Hayes three and a pair of Dulaire free throws gave Becker a 69-65 advantage with 6:15 remaining in regulation.

After Hill put the Mariners within striking distance by hitting both his free throws with 1:55 remaining, Donavan McClean stole the Hawks inbound attempt and scored a quick layup to tie the game at 75-75.

On the Hawks' next possession, Kyle Credle drove to the basket for a layup to give the hosts a 77-75 lead. McClean then missed a game-tying jumper with 46 seconds remaining, and Credle clinched the Becker victory with a three-pointer with eight seconds left in regulation.

Dulaire paced the Hawks with a game-high 23 points and 15 rebounds to earn a double-double. Maturah was a rebound shy of a double-double and finished with 16 points and nine boards. Ford-Hayes chipped in with 12 points while Liggon rounded out the Hawks starters in double figures with 11 points. Credle ended his day with 10 points while Jessy Michaud dished out a game-high 11 assists. 

McClean led Mitchell with 20 points while Ford finished his brilliant career with 17 points and seven rebounds. With 11:35 remaining in the second half, Hill scored a layup while being fouled and netted his 1,000th career point on the free throw. He finished his night with a double-double, tallying 16 points and a team-best 10 rebounds. Mosley helped keep the Mariners in the game with eight points off the bench in the second half. 

Becker (16-10 overall) will next face top-seeded Southern Vermont College in the semifinals on Friday, February 27 at 6:00 p.m.

Mitchell ends the season with an overall record of 12-13.