MBB Wins Second Consecutive NECC Title

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The top-seeded Mitchell College men's basketball team captured the 2023 New England Collegiate Conference championship on Saturday afternoon, rolling past third-seeded New England College 109-85 at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Mikey Buscetto (Waterford, Conn.), who was named tournament MVP, finished with 29 points (9-16 overall, 8-13 from three), nine assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. Joining Buscetto on the All-Tournament team was fellow senior Alfonzo Stokes (Bloomfield, Conn.), who finished with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double. Jalen Benson (New London, Conn.) added 16 points, Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.) tallied 15 points, and Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) came off the bench to produce 14 points and seven rebounds.

The Mariners (23-4 overall) won the league title for the fourth time in their history (2014, 2019, 2022), the second year in a row, and have earned the conference's automatic bid for the NCAA Championship. The entire Division III men's field will be announced via NCAA.com on Monday, February 27 at 12:30 p.m.

The Mariners never trailed in this one, allowing the Pilgrims to tie the game twice early before building a steady lead that would sustain them through the duration of the game. Buscetto capped the opening half by draining a trio of three-pointers in a span of just over two minutes, igniting the home crowd and sending Mitchell into halftime with a 16-point advantage.

Mitchell maintained a steady lead through a second half which was slowed by the referee's whistle. The two teams combined for 27 fouls in the second frame, and the Mariners took advantage, shooting 74.1% from the stripe in the final 20-minute period while watching their lead grow to as large as 30 points.

For the game, Mitchell shot 52.2% from the floor, 54.5% from three, and 71.1% from the free throw line. The Mariners controlled down low, outrebounding New England College 44-35 and scoring 38 points in the paint. The Mitchell defense held the Pilgrims to just 3-10 from three-point territory and forced 19 turnovers, which in turn led to 25 points off turnovers.

Alex Williams paced New England College (8-18 overall) with 21 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out down the stretch. Jasen Stovall chipped in 13 points for the Pilgrims and Kyle Inglis added 12.

All-Tournament Team
Christian Castro – Lesley University
JaWaun Moore – Eastern Nazarene College
Alex Williams – New England College
Kyle Inglis – New England College
Alfonzo Stokes – Mitchell College
Mikey Buscetto – MVP – Mitchell College