MBB Drops Season Opener to Anna Maria

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team nearly clawed back from a 19-point second-half deficit but dropped its season opener, 95-85, to Anna Maria College on Wednesday night at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

All five Anna Maria starters scored in double digits. Jakai Alexandre led the group with 19 points and nine assists while Gabe Armstead finished with a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Kennedy Minix-Rogers chipped in 15 points and six assists, Ralph Grasso Jr. added 13 points and eight boards, and Joey Nuttall tacked on 10 points and seven caroms. 

Mitchell's Jacob Tully netted a career-high 20 points to lead all scorers. Mikey Buscetto supplied 17 points and a game-high 11 assists in his Mariner debut while Alfonzo Stokes shot 4-for-8 and finished with 14 points.

Neither team led by more than six in the opening half. Grasso Jr. got the AMCATS off to a good start, scoring eight points in the first four minutes en route to 10 in the half. Tully kept the Mariners close with 16 points before the break, although the home team trailed 41-37 at intermission.

Anna Maria used a 13-4 run to start the second half and build a double-digit lead. Later in the stanza, a bucket by Grasso Jr. gave the AMCATS their biggest lead of the night at 70-51 with 10:16 remaining.

The Mariners responded with a 9-2 spurt over the next 2:09 to close the gap. Minutes later, Buscetto found Tyler Peretz and Hunter Baillargeon for back-to-back threes as Mitchell pulled within 74-66 with 6:45 to go.

Buscetto keyed a late run by attacking the paint and finding open teammates. His lay-up with 1:22 to play made it a one-possession game at 85-82, but Minix-Rogers answered on the other end for Anna Maria. The AMCATS then sewed up the win by going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final 35 seconds.

Anna Maria went to the free throw line 36 times and enjoyed a 22-11 scoring differential.

Mitchell will next play Trinity College on Friday, November 12 at Eastern Connecticut State University. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.