MBB Soars Past Lesley and Into NECC Title Game

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The top-seeded Mitchell College men's basketball team went ahead early and powered past fourth-seeded Lesley University 114-60 on Wednesday evening in a New England Collegiate Conference semifinal showdown at the Yarnall Athletic Center. With the win, the Mariners booked their ticket to the NECC title game for the fourth consecutive season.

15 different players scored for Mitchell, who took their first lead of the night on a Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.) free throw two minutes and 18 seconds into the game. The Mariners did not look back from there, shooting 55.3% from the floor and 40% from three-point range to suffocate the Lynx on route to a 54-point thumping, which matched their largest margin of victory this season.

Fresh off being named 2022-23 NECC Player of the Year, senior Alfonzo Stokes (Bloomfield, Conn.) scored a team-high 18 points in just 21 minutes, to go along with seven rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Fellow guard Mikey Buscetto (Waterford, Conn.) proved too much for the Lesley defense to handle, posting a double-double with 12 assists and 11 points. The senior also added six rebounds and a pair of steals, while Zirlis finished with 12 points, and senior Ahmani Browne (St. John's, Antigua) added 10 points and six boards. 

Meanwhile, Jalen Benson (New London, Conn.) recently named NECC Defensive Player of the Year, contributed seven points, five steals, and three assists. Additionally, Wilton Causey (Worcester Mass.) scored 15 points, Jacob Narvaez (Miramar, Fla.) recorded nine points, while Dontae Pollard (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.), Kenny Lewis (Orlando, Fla.), and Byron Dunn (Westerly, R.I.) each chipped in six points, good for 42 of Mitchell's 56 points from their bench.

Christian Castro nailed six three balls for Lesley on his way to a team-high 15 points and Scott Barlow joined him in double-figures with 14, including five from long range.

The Mariners dominated the Lynx down low, outrebounding Lesley 48-33 and scoring 66 points in the paint. The Mitchell defense forced 26 turnovers and held Lesley to just 34.3% shooting, 21.4% from beyond the arc.

The Mariners (22-4 overall) will host New England College on Saturday, February 25^th, in the NECC championship game at the Yarnall Athletic Center. The third-seeded Pilgrims punched their ticket to the title game by advancing past second-seeded Eastern Nazarene College 79-72 on Wednesday night.