Clardy Nets 1,000th Career Point in Regular Season Finale for Men’s Basketball
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell (14-11,6-8 Great) | 34 | 37 | 71 |
|
Norwich (17-8,8-6 Great N) | 47 | 51 | 98 |
NORTHFIELD, VT – The Mitchell College men's basketball team closed out their regular season with a 98-71 loss on the road against Norwich University on Saturday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at Andrews Hall.
With a driving layup at the 3:31 mark of the first half, senior Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.) eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his Mitchell career, reaching the feat in just two seasons and 50 games. Clardy becomes the seventh player in the Division III era of the program to hit the 1,000-point milestone, joining Eric Murray, Joshua Ford, Domenico Santiago, Hasani Williams, Parris Hill, and Alfonzo Stokes.
Clardy paced the Mariners with 19 points and eight rebounds in the loss. Junior Walker Baillargeon (Norwich, Conn.) added 15 points in 22 minutes, while senior Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.) had 10 points and five rebounds, and freshman Adrian Alicea (Miami, Fla.) chipped in 11 off the bench.
The Mariners found themselves in an early hole after the Cadets opened the game on a 21-6 run over the first six minutes and 10 seconds of play. Norwich maintained their advantage and led by 17 points after a pair of free throws by Kohlby Murry with 6:55 remaining until intermission, but a 15-11 run to close the half had Mitchell training by 13 as the two teams made their way to the locker rooms.
Early in the second half, the Mariners trimmed the deficit to single-digits for the first time since the opening minutes of the game when junior Walker Baillargeon (Norwich, Conn.) knocked down a pair of free throws with 18:06 on the clock. The Cadets answered with a free throw by Donato Pakak and a basket by Jalen Olivero to push their lead back to double-figures.
Trailing by 12 with 16:17 left, Mitchell freshman Tommy Daly (Wethersfield, Conn.) knocked down a pull up jumper from the elbow to make it a 10 point game, but a 19-9 run by the Cadets followed, allowing them to regain control and push the lead to 20 points at the midway point of the half.
The Mariners were unable to recover, as the Cadets shot 52.1% from the floor, led by a 35-point, 11-rebound double-double by Kohlby Murray. Jalen Olivero also notched a double-double, finishing with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Sharif Sharif rounded out the double-figure scorers with 12.
As a team, the Mariners won the rebounding battle, 46-44, but were outscored in the paint 44-26.
The Mariners finish their regular season with an overall record of 14-11 (6-8 GNAC), and will await their seeding in the upcoming GNAC Men's Basketball Tournament. The Cadets conclude their regular season with a 17-8 record (8-6 GNAC) and will also await to see where they are seeded in the upcoming tournament.
