Men’s Basketball Knocks Off Elms for Second GNAC Victory

NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team rallied from a two-point halftime deficit to knock off Elms College 80-66 in GNAC action on Tuesday evening at the Yarnall Athletic Center. The Mariners improved their conference record to 2-3 with the victory, while the Blazers fell to 1-4 in GNAC play.

Senior Dontae Pollard (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) netted a career-high 22 points on 9-15 shooting to pace a well-rounded Mitchell offensive output, and added five rebounds, one steal, and one block. Junior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) tallied his second double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals, while sophomore Brandon Lee (Stockton, Cali.) chipped in 12 points, six boards, and three blocks.

Juniors Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) and Kenny Lewis (Orlando, Fla.) also scored in double-figures, as Causey had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Lewis added 10 points of his own off the bench. Additionally, sophomore Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.) nearly missed out on his third double-double of the season, notching eight points and 10 rebounds.

A competitive opening half which featured 14 lead changes found the Blazers holding a 38-36 advantage as the game reached the midway point. Coming out of the locker room, the Mariners scored the opening basket of the frame, a layup by Brandon Lee, and eventually took their first lead of the stanza at the 17:31 mark when Jaylyn Clardy fed Wilton Causey for a basket. Mitchell would lead the rest of the way, ripping off a 15-4 run from there to gain control.

The Blazers were able to make it a 10-point game on multiple occasions down the stretch and got within nine points with 1:45 to go on a free-throw by Edgardo Jacob Cancel, but the Mariners answered time after time, shooting a season-high 52.6% overall and 56% in the second half. Mitchell also held a 39-29 rebounding advantage over Elms and forced 19 turnovers, which in turn led to 24 points.

Sophomore RJ Mayfield led the Blazers with 19 points, while graduate student Tahquell Cadle added 16 points, four assists, and three steals. The Elms shooting cooled significantly after halftime, as the Blazers were 50% from the floor and 66.7% from downtown in the first 20 minutes, and shot just 30.3% in the second frame.

The Mariners (4-11, 2-3 GNAC) will jump back into action on Thursday, January 18th, when they host Wesleyan University in a non-conference game at the Yarnall Athletic Center with tipoff scheduled for 6:00 pm. The Blazers (3-14, 1-4 GNAC) return to play on Saturday, January 20th, when they face Saint Joseph's College (ME) at home in a conference showdown.