Men’s Basketball Can’t Complete Comeback at Regis
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell | 28 | 40 | 68 |
|
Regis (Mass.) | 41 | 33 | 74 |
WESTON, Mass. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team suffered a 74-68 setback against Regis College on Saturday afternoon in a GNAC showdown at Higgins Court. The Mariners drop to 1-3 in conference play with the loss, while the Pride pull even at 2-2 in GNAC competition.
Junior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) scored a game-high 28 points for the Mariners, who rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to eventually take the lead in the second half. Clardy added six rebounds, while senior Dontae Pollard (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) and juniors Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) and Kenny Lewis (Orlando, Fla.) chipped in nine points apiece. Pollard added three rebounds and three assists, while Causey finished with four rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots.
The score remained close in the early stages of the game before the Pride went ahead on a three pointer by Gehrig Brynda seven minutes in, and they went on to outscore the Mariners 25-14 over the remainder of the frame to carry a 13-point lead into halftime.
Trailing 41-28, the Mariners entered the second stanza red hot and outscored the Pride 24-11 across the ensuring eight minutes, finally tying the score at 52-52 on a jump shot by Robert Zirlis. Regis then jumped back on top by scoring five straight points, but layups by Jaylyn Clardy and Dontae Pollard, followed by a three pointer by Clardy gave the Mariners their first lead since early in the opening half, 60-59 with 8:02 on the clock.
After the two teams traded baskets, Mitchell held a one-point advantage with 5:31 left, before a pair of three throws by Clardy put the Mariners on top 64-61. The Pride then regained the lead following baskets by Justin Evelyn, Tate Pike, and Russell Rau, leading to a Mitchell timeout with 2:51 remaining.
Coming out of the timeout, Kenny Lewis knocked down a free throw to trim the deficit to two points, but the Pride's Cameron Wilkins responded with a pair of three throws to put Regis on top by four heading into a media timeout. Coming out of the break it was Clardy once again coming up big, as the junior nailed a shot from beyond the arc to make it a one-point game with under a minute to go, which in turn led to a Regis timeout. A three ball from Russell Rau came immediately after the break to give the home squad a 72-68 lead and Rau would knock down two more free throws in the waning seconds to secure the victory for the home squad.
Rau paced the Pride with 23 points and pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds. Jamir Harvey and Justin Evelyn each added 13 points.
The Mariners (3-11, 1-3 GNAC) will look to bounce back when they host Elms College in a GNAC showdown on Tuesday, January 16th, at 7:00 pm. The Pride (7-8, 2-2 GNAC) are scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, January 16th, when they play host to fellow GNAC member Norwich University.
