MBB Tops Conn to Secure New London Sweep

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Mitchell College led for nearly the entire game in an 85-73 victory over Connecticut College on Monday night in non-conference men's basketball action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

The Mariners, who improved to 13-7 overall, have taken five of the last six meetings against the Camels (6-14 overall). The win also gave Mitchell a sweep against city rivals Conn and Coast Guard for the first time since 2014.

Domenico Santiago had a monster game of 27 points, 18 rebounds and three assists to lead the charge for the Mariners. Steffen Brunson added a line of 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals while Matt Finke chipped in 11 points and shot 3-for-4 from deep.

Patrick Lazor posted a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds to pace Conn. Jack Zimmerman finished with 15 points and a team-high five assists while David Labossiere recorded 12 points and six boards. Phil Leotsakos rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points and six rebounds.

After Conn scored on the opening possession of the game, Mitchell responded with a bucket by Brunson to knot the score at 2-2. Connel Henderson then came up with a steal and fast-break layup, and the Mariners never trailed again.

Mitchell led by as many as 12 in the half but saw the margin dip to seven as Conn closed the stanza with a 7-2 run in the final minute. A three-pointer by Leotsakos in the final seconds made it a 35-28 game at intermission.

Santiago led all scorers with nine points at the break while teammate Hasani Williams had eight. Zimmerman and Lazor each netted seven points in the half to lead the Camels.

In the early stages of the second half, Conn pulled to within two on a three-pointer by Lazor that made it 37-35 with 17:09 to go. However, the Mariners responded with seven straight points that included a three-pointer by Finke and a pair of buckets by Santiago to pad the margin once again.

Later in the contest, another Lazor three cut the deficit to five at 52-47 with 12:15 remaining. This time it was Santiago and Brunson who answered the bell, combining for eight straight points to give Mitchell its biggest lead of the night at 60-47 with 10:18 to play.

Conn cut the deficit to six at three different points in the final 8:18 but couldn't get over the hump. The final time came with 2:39 left when a jumper by Labossiere made it a 77-71 game. However, the Mariners scored the next eight points to seal the win.

Santiago scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half and connected on his final nine shots of the game. During the critical stretch late when Conn threatened to pull close, he scored on three consecutive possessions to keep the Mariners comfortably in front.

Mitchell shot 49 percent for the game led by a 13-for-21 effort by Santiago. Conn checked in at 41 percent and shot 8-for-17 from downtown, led by a 4-for-6 night by Lazor.

Mitchell will next host Becker College on Wednesday, January 30 at 6 p.m. Conn returns to action at Hunter College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.