Late Push Propels MBB to Win Over Wheelock

NEW LONDON, Conn. – A late surge was enough to push Mitchell College to an 89-82 victory over Wheelock College on Thursday night in New England Collegiate Conference play at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

With the game tied at 75-75 with 3:30 to go, the Mariners went on an 11-1 run over a 2:17 stretch to seize control. Mitchell won for the second straight time out and improved to 2-12 on the season and 2-4 in league play. 

Four Mitchell starters scored in double figures led by 20-point efforts from Mack Bertram-Gregory, Hasani Williams and Domenico Santiago. Williams and Santiago each recorded double-doubles with 14 and 15 rebounds, respectively. Alan Morgan also finished with a double-double of 13 points and 12 assists.

Anthony Williams paced Wheelock (6-9 overall, 3-3 NECC) with 20 points despite battling foul trouble in the first half. Derek Fournier added 18 points and a team-high 10 rebounds while Nicholas Fenton scored 14 points and handed out 14 assists. Pablo Tovar came off the bench to add a season-high 14 points and six boards. 

Neither team led by more than six in an up-and-down first half that featured nine ties and seven lead changes. Tovar provided quality minutes for the Wildcats after Anthony Williams picked up two early fouls—and later a quick third—and was forced to sit. Fournier stepped up to carry the offensive load with 15 points in the stanza, and Fenton and Tovar each contributed seven as Wheelock led 43-41 at the break. Bertram-Gregory had the hot hand for the Mariners with 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the half.

The second half played out similar to the first as the pace remained frenetic and both teams piled up points. The lead changed hands 13 more times—including a stretch of eight straight possessions over a two-minute period—as the clocked ticked down to the final four minutes.

A jumper by Anthony Williams, who scored 14 points in the second half, tied the game for the 13th time with 3:47 remaining. The Mariners responded with a jumper in the lane by Geary McLeod to edge back in front. On Mitchell's next trip down the floor, Morgan found McLeod in the corner for a three-pointer that pushed the lead to five. Baskets by Hasani Williams and Santiago later built the margin to eight, and a pair of free throws by Bertram-Gregory put Mitchell on top 86-76 with 1:08 to play.

The Mariners shot a season-high 52 percent for the contest and held a 46-37 advantage on the glass. The Wildcats shot 43 percent from the floor and hoisted up 32 three-pointers while connecting on 11.

Mitchell will next host Becker College on Saturday, January 21 at 3 p.m. Wheelock returns to action at home against Newbury College on Saturday at 2 p.m.