Men’s Basketball Suffers Setback at USJ
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell (11-7,5-4 Great Northeast) | 29 | 41 | 70 |
|
Saint Joseph (Conn.) (14-5,8-0 Great Northeast) | 47 | 40 | 87 |
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team saw their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) record drop one game below .500 following a 87-70 loss to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Wednesday night inside the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium.
Junior Eddie Volkerts (New London, Conn.) posted his sixth double-double of the season in the loss for the Mariners, finishing with a game-high 22 points on 59% shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. Senior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) added 19 points, six boards, and three assists, while junior Brandon Lee (Stockton, Cali.) filled the stat sheet to the tune of 15 points, seven rebounds, five steals, four assists, and one block.
After a back-and-forth start to the game, which saw the Mariners leading 8-7 early on, USJ's Friedrich Feldrappe and Kevin Cummings drained back-to-back triples, establishing a 13-8 USJ lead at the 12:58 mark. Mitchell cut the gap to three in the ensuing minutes, but were unable to get any closer, as the Blue Jays entered halftime with a 47-29 advantage.
The Blue Jay's lead grew to as large as 30 points after a Cummings triple at the 4:11 mark, and despite closing the game on a 16-2 run, the deficit was too much for Mitchell to overcome.
Cummings paced the USJ offensive attack with 22 points, while Fledrappe notched a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. USJ outshot Mitchell, 53.2% (33-of-62) to 41.2% (28-of-68), and outrebounded the Mariners, 39-35, yet Mitchell forced 16 turnovers while committing just 10.
The Mariners (11-7, 3-4 GNAC) return home for their next game, a GNAC tilt against Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, February 1, at 3:00 pm. The Blue Jays (14-5, 8-0 GNAC) are back in action on Tuesday, February 4, when they host Dean College in conference action.
