Men’s Basketball Opens Season with Road Win at Hartford
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell (1-0,0-0 Great Northeast) | 35 | 47 | 82 |
|
Hartford (0-1,0-0 CNE) | 33 | 46 | 79 |
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team opened up their 2024-25 season by defeating the University of Hartford 82-79 on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference clash at Chase Arena.
Senior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) led the Mariners with 25 points, shooting 50% (10-20) from the floor. Junior Eddie Volkerts (New London, Conn.) filled the stat sheet to the tune of 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in his Mitchell debut, while junior Walker Baillargeon also finished in double-figures scoring, chipping in 10 points off the bench. Additionally, junior Brandon Lee (Stockton, Cali.) scored eight points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
The Mariners netted the first points of the game on a jumper by Clardy, yet found themselves narrowly training the Hawks across the early portion of the game. Mitchell jumped ahead 15-14 on a three ball by Baillargeon with 8:48 left in the first half, and led by as many as eight after Baillargeon sank another three one and a half minutes later. The Hawks pulled even at 26-26 late in the first half, but Mitchell was able to maintain their slight edge and went to the locker room leading by two, 35-33.
Once again it was Clardy kick-starting the Mitchell offense with the first basket of the second half, and freshman Collin Jefferson (Orlando, Fla.) followed to give the Mariners a seven-point lead to begin the stanza. The Mariners largest lead came with 16:44 on the clock when Jefferson converted a layup, but the Hawks went to work looking to chip away at the lead. Hartford found themselves down 69-68 with three minutes remaining on a tip in basket by Joshua Petion, but a Baillargeon layup followed to give Mitchell a bit of breathing room.
After Hartford again made it a two-point game with 2:38 left to play, Eddie Volkerts made a layup and a free throw, followed by a layup by Brandon Lee to put Mitchell ahead by seven. The Hawks had one final shot after pulling to within one point in the closing seconds on a Troy Santos free throw, but a pair of free throws by Jaylyn Clardy sealed the victory for the visitors.
Troy Santos led four Hartford players in double-figures with a game-high 27 points on 10-19 shooting.
Mitchell shot 54.7% from the field, while Hartford finished 45.8% from the floor. The Mariners also won the rebounding battle 42-29, dished out six more assists than the home team, and outscored the Hawks 50-30 in the paint.
The Mariners (1-0, 0-0 GNAC) will return to the court on Saturday, November 16, when they face Salve Regina University in the Jim Beaudry Classic, hosted by the University of New England. The Hawks (0-1, 0-0 CNE) will look to pick up their first win of the season when they play at Rivier University on Tuesday, November 12.
