Warriors Hand Men’s Basketball First Loss of Season
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Eastern Conn. St. | 30 | 40 | 70 |
|
Mitchell | 22 | 40 | 62 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team saw their four game winning streak come to an end on Friday evening, suffering their first loss of the season to Eastern Connecticut State University, a 70-62 setback in the opening game of the Cadet-Mariner Classic at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
Senior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) was the long Mitchell player to score in double-figures against a physical Warriors squad, finishing with a game-high 28 points, to go along with six rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Junior Eddie Volkerts (New London, Conn.) chipped in nine points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while freshman Collin Jefferson (Orlando, Fla.) netted nine points, including a 3-4 mark from downtown.
The Mariners opened the game strong, as senior Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) picked up a steal and threw down a dunk to open the scoring with 18 seconds gone by. Back-to-back baskets by the Warriors gave ECSU a 4-4 lead, but Mitchell knotted the score with 15:33 left in the half on a pair of free throws by Volkerts. Julian Sanchez answered with a triple and ECSU took control, leading the rest of the contest. The Warriors held a 30-22 advantage at halftime, and saw their lead grow as large as 21 midway through the second stanza before the Mariners managed to chip away, yet Mitchell was unable to overcome the deficit.
Julian Sanchez led the Warriors with 24 points, nine boards, and five assists, while Dominick Dao poured in 22 points and was red-hot from long range, finishing 6-9 from beyond the arc. Dao added 11 rebounds to notch the double-double.
Shooting woes plagued the Mariners, as the team shot just 34.8% from the floor, 33.3% from three, and 57.1% from the free-throw line.
The Mariners (4-1, 0-0 GNAC) will look to bounce back when they battle MCLA on the second day of the Cadet-Mariner Classic on Saturday, November 23. The game with the Trailblazers is set for a 2:30 pm tip-off at the Coast Guard Academy. The Warriors (4-0, 0-0 LEC) face day two host Coast Guard on Saturday, November 23, at 4:30 pm.
