MBB Falls Short at JWU

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Mitchell College dropped a 94-89 final at Johnson & Wales University on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference men's basketball clash. 

Matt Finke netted 21 points on 9-for-16 shooting to lead four Mariners in double figures. Jalen Benson added a career-high 19 points while Hasani Williams and Brendan Miller added 12 and 10, respectively.

The Wildcats opened a 33-20 lead at the 7:28 mark of the first half on a Brian Hogan-Gary dunk. The Mariners then outscored the Wildcats 22-9 the rest of the period and tied the game at 42-42 on an Alfonzo Stokes jumper at the hafltime buzzer.

The Wildcats started the second half with the hot hand and quickly took control. JWU's Justin Bullock, who led all scorers with 26 points, capped a 21-11 stretch with a three-point play at the 11:17 mark.

A Nate Patenaude layup with 2:37 remaining pushed the JWU margin to 86-71, but Mitchell never quit. The Mariners kept chipping away at the deficit as the Wildcats went just 6-for-10 at the line down the stretch. However, Mitchell eventually ran out of time and couldn't pull even.

Both teams shot over 50 percent for the game, with the Mariners holding a 60-to-53 advantage. JWU dropped in 10 three-pointers and went 16-for-25 from the charity stripe.

Mitchell (1-6 overall) will next host CCNY on Tuesday, December 10 a 7 p.m.