MBB Shoots Down Wheelock

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team shot a season-high 57 percent from the floor in a 98-78 win over Wheelock College on Thursday evening in a New England Collegiate Conference showdown at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

The Mariners picked up their first league win of the season and improved to 2-8 overall (1-3 NECC). Parris Hill led all scorers with 35 points on 13-for-18 shooting and added 11 rebounds in 38 minutes. Donavan McClean finished with 21 points and nine boards while Domenico Santiago recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds. Frank Martin rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points and Alan Morgan fueled the offense with a game-high nine assists.

Anthony Williams led Wheelock (3-9 overall, 1-3 NECC) with 18 points and six rebounds. Joe Reedy shot 8-for-10 to finish with 16 points while Derek Fournier chipped in with 11. Nicholas Fenton handed out a team-high eight assists to go with seven points and six rebounds.

After a pair of three-pointers from Fournier put Wheelock in front early, Mitchell quickly pulled ahead on a three-pointer by Martin and never trailed again. The score remained tight until a 12-0 spurt put the Mariners up 43-26 with 2:35 to go in the half. McClean got things rolling with seven straight points, and Hill capped the run with a three-pointer that forced Wheelock to take a timeout.

The Wildcats trimmed the deficit down to 47-35 at the break, as Williams and Fenton combined for nine points in the final 2:05 of the stanza. However, Mitchell shot 59 percent for the half as Hill led the way with 17 points.

The Mariners stayed hot in the second half and never let their lead dip below double digits. The margin ballooned to as many as 27 before settling at 20, Mitchell's largest margin of victory this season.

Mitchell will next play at Lesley University on Saturday, January 16 at 5 p.m. Wheelock returns to action at Southern Vermont College on Saturday at 3 p.m.