MBB Finishes Semester with Loss to Fisher

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Fisher College shot 50 percent from the field in a 102-63 victory over Mitchell College on Wednesday evening in a non-conference men's basketball matchup at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

The Falcons (5-6 overall) also went 14-for-27 from three-point range led by a 5-for-9 effort by Tyler Shular, who finished with a game-high 23 points and tacked on nine rebounds. Kyle Holmes added 16 points and four assists off the bench while Malik Wilson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. Darrell Grady handed out eight assists to go with nine points.

Mitchell (1-5 overall) was paced by 20 points from Donavan McClean. Domenico Santiago and Frank Martin also scored in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Fisher pounded the glass and used strong transition play to race out to a big lead in the opening 9:40 of the contest. The Falcons went on a 22-0 run that resulted in a 28-4 advantage following a layup by Shular, who netted seven points during the stretch.

With Santiago in early foul trouble, McClean fought hard to keep the Mariners within striking distance. He scored 12 of his team's first 16 points as Mitchell trimmed the deficit to 31-16 with 6:45 remaining in the half.

Back-to-back threes by Shular gave the momentum back to the Falcons, who closed out the half with a layup by Grady that extended the lead to 50-25. Fisher outscored Mitchell 17-4 in transition and held a 29-12 advantage on the glass. Shular led all scorers with 18 points at the break.

Fisher pumped the lead to as many as 37 in the second half and never let the margin dip below 23. The Falcons ended the game with a 23-10 edge in fast-break points and a 51-29 advantage in rebounding. 

Santiago finished with a team-high seven rebounds but was the only Mitchell player with more than three boards. Alan Morgan dished out seven assists while Martin contributed three assists, two steals and a block.

Mitchell will next play at Western Connecticut State University on Wednesday, January 6 at 5 p.m. Fisher returns to action at the University of Vermont on Saturday, December 19 at 2 p.m.