MBB Drops Season Finale at Becker

LEICESTER, Mass. - The Mitchell College men's basketball team ended the regular season with an 80-64 loss at Becker College on Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference action at the Leicester Gymnasium.

Becker forward Samuel Durodola scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead all scorers. He became Becker's all-time leading scorer with 13:32 to go in the first half when he buried a three-pointer to put the Hawks up 19-4. The basket pushed him past Terrance Favors ('12) for the top spot in the school's 20-year NCAA history, and he finished the game with 1,668 career points.

The Hawks (14-11 overall, 9-5 NECC) also received 26 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals from guard Kareem Davis. Jalen Robinson finished with nine points and three assists while Antonio White Jr. and Bernard Broaster each pulled down six boards off the bench. On the defensive end, Durodola also posted three steals and a block.

The Mariners (13-12 overall, 9-5 NECC) were led by Steffen Brunson with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Domenico Santiago finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals while Marvin Baker added 10 points and four boards.

Becker jumped out to a 21-4 lead, a spurt that was capped off by a Davis jumper. The Hawks extended their lead to as much as 26 and went into halftime leading 48-28. Davis led all scorers at the break with 21 points.

Mitchell rallied in the second stanza, slowly chipping away at the Becker lead before pulling within nine on a Santiago jumper with 5:58 to go in the game. The Hawks answered with a 12-2 run, sealed by a free throw by Robinson with 1:17 left to help put the game away.

Both Becker and Mitchell have qualified for next week's NECC Championship. The conference will release the complete bracket later tonight with seeding and game times.

UPDATE: The conference has released the bracket for the NECC Championship. The Mariners are the third seed and will host sixth-seeded Elms College in the first round on Tuesday, February 20 at 7 p.m. The winner will travel to second-seeded Becker College on February 22.