Team Effort Fuels First Win at Regis

WESTON, Mass. - The Mitchell College men's basketball team picked up its first win of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Regis College by a 71-67 final in New England Collegiate Conference action at Higgins Court.

A balanced attack ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in Mitchell's first win of the season. 
Alan Morgan and Domenico Santiago led the way for the Mariners with 14 points each, while fellow starters Mack Bertram-Gregory and Brayvon Young (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) registered 13 and 12 points, respectively, in the win.

Chris Leak Jr. finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds to pace the Pride, which fell to 6-9 on the season (3-3 NECC). 

Leak Jr. finished just one rebound shy of completing his double-double in the opening half, closing out the period with 14 points and nine rebounds in just 11 minutes of action. The half featured five ties and five lead changes, but when the horn sounded for the break, the Pride trailed by a score of 30-29.

The teams continued to trade punches after emerging from their locker rooms. Neither team led by more than five points in the first 14 minutes of the second frame, with the game featuring 17 lead changes and 11 ties by the final buzzer.

With 12:26 remaining on the clock, Jawaun Lewis threw down a powerful alley-oop on the fast break to put the Pride ahead by a score of 48-47. The dunk electrified the Higgins Court crowd as well as the Pride bench, but the home side was unable to take advantage of the momentum to pull away from the visitors.

With the score tied at 56-56, the Mariners pulled in front for good behind seven straight points. Bertram-Gregory got things rolling with a three-pointer and later capped the stretch with another bucket go give Mitchell its biggest lead of the contest. 

Regis hung in until the final buzzer, twice cutting the deficit to a single possession in the final 3:00. Each time Santiago responded with a big bucket to pad the lead, and eventually the Pride ran out of time. 

Mitchell returns to action on Thursday, January 19 at home against Wheelock College at 6 p.m.