Late Surge Fuels UMass Boston Past MBB

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team opened the 2016-17 season with an 85-72 setback against UMass Boston on Tuesday night at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Sam Freeman posted a game-high 29 points on 14-for-19 shooting to pace the Beacons (1-0 overall). Alex Sanchez added 16 points and nine assists while Dan Powers and Michael Sanders each chipped in 12 points.

Brayvon Young led Mitchell (0-1 overall) with 14 points and shot 4-for-6 from three-point range. Domenico Santiago scored all 12 of his points in the second half while Hasani Williams and Alan Morgan each contributed 11 points. 

With the score tied at 55-55 with 8:25 to play, UMass Boston vaulted into the lead for good on a three-pointer by Sanders which sparked a 7-0 run. The Beacons later pushed the lead to double digits on a bucket by Freeman with 2:21 to go. The margin ballooned to as many as 15 in the final moments as the visitors closed out the game from the free throw line.

Sanders came off the bench to go 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, with three of his treys coming in the final 8:11 of the contest. The Beacons shot 58 percent from deep, with Sanchez and Careem Kirksey supplying three treys apiece.

In the first half, Mitchell jumped out to an early lead thanks to five points from Young. The Mariners led until a lay-up by Sanchez put the Beacons in front at the 8:04 mark. Fueled by a 12-2 run, UMass Boston led 29-20 with 3:42 remaining in the stanza.

Mitchell stormed back behind 13 unanswered points in the final 3:29 of the half. The Mariners tied the game on a lay-up by Nana Nkrumah and reclaimed the lead on a bucket by Justin Gordneer-Morant with 1:06 to go. Sanders drilled a three to quell the storm for the Beacons, although Mitchell held a 33-32 lead at the break.

Mitchell will next play at Maritime College on Sunday, November 27 at 2 p.m.