Men’s Basketball Takes Down Emmanuel
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Emmanuel (Mass.) | 33 | 37 | 70 |
|
Mitchell | 37 | 42 | 79 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Junior Eddie Volkerts (New London, Conn.) scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds, both game-high figures, to help guide the Mitchell College men's basketball team past Emmanuel College, 79-70, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) clash on Saturday afternoon at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
The 27 points (12-20) was the most for Volkerts in his Mariners career, while senior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Junior Brandon Lee (Stockton, Cali.) added 10 points and senior Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) had eight points, including a perfect 8-8 mark from the free throw line, all coming in the second half to help Mitchell seal their third conference win of the season.
The Mariners came out of the gate on fire, outscoring the Saints 23-9 across the opening nine minutes and 14 seconds. Shooting 9-for-13 in the run as a team, Volkerts scored nine of the Mariners 23 points to start the game. Mitchell continued to lead by double-figures for a good stretch of the first half, but a 13-6 run to end the frame by Emmanuel had the Mariners on top by just four, 37-33, at the intermission.
The Saints took their first lead of the game two minutes into the second half when Noah Beaudet knocked down a shot from beyond the arc. The Emmanuel lead was short lived, however, as Volkerts answered with a jumper to push the home team back on top, where they would stay for the rest of the afternoon.
Emmanuel made one final push, using a 6-0 scoring spree to cut the deficit to 74-70 with 2:02 remaining, but the Mitchell held the scoreless over the remainder of the contest, hanging on for a nine-point victory.
Mahari Guerrier scored a team-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds for the Saints, while Connor Hanavan added 10 points in 20 minutes off the bench.
As a team, Mitchell shot 50.8% (30-59) from the floor and outrebounded the Saints 35-28. Both teams committed 17 turnovers, with the Mariners turning those turnovers into 24 points.
The Mariners (11-6, 3-3 GNAC) return to action on Wednesday, January 29, with a road GNAC showdown at the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm. The Saints (2-15, 1-5 GNAC) will look to bounce back on Wednesday, January 29, when they travel for a road game at Regis College.
