MBB Holds On to Take Down Conn College

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team dispatched cross-town rival Connecticut College by a 75-68 final on Saturday afternoon at Charles B. Luce Field House.

Brayvon Young shot 4-for-7 from three-point range to finish with a team-high 17 points. Domenico Santiago registered a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Hasani Williams and Steffen Brunson chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Ben Bagnoli led Conn College with a career-high 23 points and Phil Leotsakos contributed a double-double of 14 points and a game-high 14 boards.

The teams were deadlocked at 36-all at halftime before finding themselves engulfed in a seesaw battle which featured two ties and 10 lead changes over the final 20 minutes. Bagnoli nailed a three-pointer to put the Camels on the board first, but Mitchell came back and went ahead by a 43-42 score when Santiago converted a lay-up with 16:40 to play.

Mitchell, which trailed 50-49 following another Bagnoli basket, then embarked on a 14-2 run to establish control. Brunson nailed a pair of three-pointers as well as a jumper during the hot stretch to lead the way for the Mariners. The Camels came within three when Bagnoli drove in for a lay-up with under a minute left, but Williams was fouled and hit two free throws on the other end to allow the visitors to walk away with the win.

The Mariners led for practically the entire first half, as Mack Bertram-Gregory and Young canned back-to-back three-point field goals to give their team an early 8-3 advantage. Conn College, however, stayed within striking distance by keeping the deficit to single digits throughout the frame. Despite trailing 35-28 with just over two minutes left, the Camels ended the stanza on an 8-1 run and got a jumper from Leotsakos to tie the score at 36 heading into the break.

Mitchell (3-5 overall) will next host Salve Regina University on Tuesday, December 12 at 6 p.m.