Men’s Basketball Outlasts Wildcats in GNAC Showdown
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Johnson & Wales (RI) | 31 | 36 | 67 |
|
Mitchell | 33 | 38 | 71 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team picked up their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, outlasting Johnson & Wales University 71-67 at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
Junior Eddie Volkerts (New London, Conn.) led all scorers with 22 points and added a game-high 13 rebounds. It was the third double-double of the season for Volkerts, who was 6-13 from the floor and 9-16 from the charity stripe, including three big free throws in the final 30 seconds of play to help seal the game for Mitchell. Senior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) and junior Brandon Lee (Stockton, Cali.) netted 15 points apiece in the win, with Lee finishing just one rebound shy of a double-double.
The Mariners held a 33-31 advantage at halftime, and the Wildcats tied the game when Josh Zangerle made the first basket of the second half just over a minute into the frame. Volkerts answered with a layup on the next Mitchell possession to push the home squad back on top by two, and the Mariners did not trail the rest of the way.
JWU again knotted the score with 11:30 on the clock on a Sean Duke basket which made it 46-46, however Brandon Lee knocked down a free throw following a Mitchell timeout to give the Mariners the lead for good.
The Wildcats continued to threaten down the stretch and trimmed the deficit to two points on a three-pointer by Roel Figueroa with 3:49 remaining. Once again, the Mariners had an answer, as freshman Tommy Daly (Wethersfield, Conn.) then drew a foul and drilled both free throws, lifting Mitchell ahead 63-59. It became a one-point game with two and a half minutes left after JWU's Mike Rogers connected from downtown, but a three-point play by Jaylyn Clardy gave the Mariners some breathing room for the time being. With 1:10 on the clock the Wildcats once again made it a one point game and trailed 68-67 after Shaw-Glen went 1-2 at the line, but a pair of costly turnovers three free throws by Volkerts allowed Mitchell to pull out their first win of the new year.
Shaw-Glen finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Josh Zangerle matched him with 13 points of his own. Mike Rogers netted 11 points off the bench, and RJ Jones and Figueroa added 10 apiece.
The Mariners shot 40.4% from the floor, won the rebounding battle 34-33, and forced 16 Wildcat turnovers. Clardy and Volkerts each picked up two steals in the win.
The Mariners (9-4, 1-1 GNAC) will hit the road for their next matchup, a GNAC showdown with Albertus Magnus College on Wednesday, January 15, at 7:30 pm. The Wildcats (3-9, 1-2 GNAC) play next at Saint Joseph's College (ME) on Wednesday, January 15.
