MBB Rallies Late but Can't Catch SVC

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Four Southern Vermont College starters combined for 90 points in a 96-86 win at Mitchell College on Thursday night in New England Collegiate Conference men's basketball action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Nate Goldsmith led all scorers with 27 points and added nine rebounds and seven assists to pace the Mountaineers, who won their sixth straight game and improved to 8-9 overall (6-2 NECC). Rayshawn Taylor and Josh Borders chipped in with 22 points apiece while Mike Pierre rounded out the double-digit scorers with 19.

Alan Morgan led Mitchell (3-14 overall, 3-6 NECC) with 19 points and eight assists. Geary McLeod came off the bench to provide 17 points and eight steals while Domenico Santiago and Mack Bertram-Gregory provided 16 and 15 points, respectively. Santiago grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to secure his seventh double-double.

The game was relatively close for the first 32 minutes. Mitchell's biggest lead in the opening half was eight following a three-pointer by McLeod with 7:44 to play, but Southern Vermont bounced right back with an 8-2 run that featured treys from Goldsmith and Borders. The Mariners then scored eight of the final 11 points of the half to take a 42-37 lead into the break.

SVC scored seven straight points out of intermission to pull ahead, with Borders, Taylor and Goldsmith all contributing during the spurt. Mitchell jumped back in front on a three from Brayvon Young, but on the ensuing possession Taylor drained a three, and the Mountaineers never trailed again.

The score remained tight until the eight-minute mark when a layup by Hasani Williams cut SVC's lead to 69-66. The Mountaineers responded with an 18-2 run over the next four minutes to seize control. Taylor provided the spark with back-to-back baskets and scored a total of eight points during the stretch.

Trailing 87-68 with 4:15 remaining, Mitchell clawed its way back into the contest with nine straight points and ultimately got the deficit down to as little as six with under a minute to play. However, the Mariners couldn't muster a field goal in the final 50 seconds, and the Mountaineers closed out the game by going 4-for-6 from the free throw line.

SVC shot 58 percent on the night to make up for 23 turnovers. The Mountaineers outscored the Mariners in transition (26-15) and also held a considerable advantage at the charity stripe (17-4). Mitchell went to the line only eight times while SVC made 24 trips.

Mitchell will next play at Elms College on Saturday, January 28 at 2 p.m. Southern Vermont returns to action at Lesley University on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.