Men’s Basketball Falls in Conference Opener to Lasell
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lasell (5-2, 1-0) | 38 | 30 | 68 |
|
Mitchell (0-6, 0-1) | 28 | 32 | 60 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team dropped their opening game of GNAC play on Saturday afternoon, falling to Lasell University 68-60 at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
Sophomore Brandon Lee (Stockton, Cali.) was the lone Mitchell player to finish in double-figures scoring, recording 15 points to go along with six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Junior Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.), added eight points, while fellow junior Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) and freshman Jayeson VanBeveren (Bristol, Conn.) also chipped in eight points apiece.
The Lasers led by as many as 14 points midway through the opening half, and carried a 10-point advantage into the intermission. Brandon Lee made back to back baskets for Mitchell to open the second half, and converted on a layup five minutes into the stanza to trim the deficit to three points. Lasell was able to maintain their slim edge, and Mitchell made it a one score game after a basket by junior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) with 9:27 on the clock, but Marcus Lewis answered with a jumper for Lasell a minute later to put the Lasers back ahead 52-49.
A few minutes after that, Lee went 1-2 at the free throw line to make it a 54-52 game in favor of the Lasers, but an 8-0 run by the visiting squad allowed Lasell to away for good, handing the Mariners their sixth consecutive loss to begin the season.
Marcus Lewis paced all scorers with 19 points, while Greg Farrow notched 15 points, and Gabe Qua added 14.
The Lasers shot 47.4% from the floor, while the Mariners shot 40% overall, 66.7% from the free throw line, and were 0-9 from three-point range. Mitchell was able to outrebound Lasell 40-30, yet committed 23 turnovers.
The Mariners (0-6, 0-1 GNAC) will return to play on Tuesday, November 5th, when they visit Trinity College for a non-conference matchup. The Lasers (5-3, 1-0 GNAC) play next on Tuesday, November 5th, when they host Husson University in an out of conference showdown.
