Men’s Basketball Comes Up Short Against CCNY

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team suffered a 73-57 setback to the City College of New York (CCNY) in a non-conference showdown during the second day of the Cadet-Mariner Classic at Roland Gymnasium on the campus of the US Coast Guard Academy. It marks the third consecutive loss to begin the season for the Mariners, while CCNY improved their record to 2-3 so far this fall.

Junior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) paced the Mariners, scoring a team-high 16 points to go along with five rebounds. Senior forward Dontae Pollard (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) scored in double-figures for the third straight game and recorded his first double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.) chipped in 12 points and grabbed five boards.

After the Mariners opened the game with back to back baskets, the Beavers answered with a three ball and a layup to make it an early 5-4 game. Dontae Pollard then nailed a jump shot to put Mitchell back on top 6-5 at the 18:02 mark, but that would be the last time the Mariners would be on top in the contest, as CCNY led by as many as eight in the first half and carried a five-point edge into the intermission.

CCNY maintained their slight lead throughout the early portion of the second half, and Mitchell was able to trim the deficit to three when Zirlis made a pair of free throws with 13:43 remaining in the contest. CCNY then responded with a 15-2 run down the stretch, pulling away and handing the Mariners their most lopsided defeat of the early season.

Edward Beqiri led all scorers with 17 points on 6-7 shooting, while also tallying nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals for the Beavers. He was joined in double figures by Yassine Sakhi (16 points, five reobunds, four assists), Ricardo Dixon (15 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, three assists), and Michael Bowman (15 points, six rebounds).

For the second game in a row, the Mariners shot below 40% from the floor (33.8%), while CCNY registered a 47.5% clip from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc. The two squads were nearly equal in rebounding and assists, yet the Beavers were able to gain an advantage down low, outscoring Mitchell 38-28 in the paint.

The Mariners (0-3, 0-0 GNAC) will look for the first victory of the season when they return home to host Coast Guard Academy in non-conference action on Tuesday, November 21st, at 3:30 pm. CCNY (2-3, 0-0 CUNYAC) returns to play on Monday, November 20th, when they play host to Whittier College.