Keshinro's Fourth Double-Double Leads Men's Basketball Against NYIT
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 18, 2014) – Senior Olajide Keshinro (Brooklyn, N.Y. / SUNY Cobleskill) posted his fourth double-double of the season as the Mercy College men's basketball team took a tough loss to East Coast Conference foe NYIT on Saturday afternoon.
The Bears' record returns to .500 at 7-7 overall and 5-3 in the ECC while the Mavericks drop to 1-14 (1-8).
Keshinro scored 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting and pulled down 13 rebounds for the double-double, adding three blocks and two assists. Seniors P.J. Walters (Hempstead, N.Y. / Wheaton College) and Kirk Bailey (Freeport, N.Y.) and sophomore Nate Stitchell (Coventry, R.I. / Coventry) scored in double figures with 17, 14 and 12 points, respectively, with Stitchell also dishing out six assists and making three steals.
Senior Chaz Morrish (Douglaston, N.Y. / St. Mary's) kicked off the game with a three-pointer and senior LeBrandon Smith (Jamaica, N.Y. / Archbishop Molloy) hit a free throw to give the Mavericks an early 4-0 lead at 18:54 in the first half.
The Bears tied things up at 6-6 less than a minute later thanks to a pair of three-pointers, but Mercy regained the edge after another two minutes on a Bailey layup.
NYIT would go on to score 10 straight points over the next minute, however, to take a nine-point lead. Bailey cut the margin down to seven with another layup, but the Bears stretched out their lead further, going up by 13 with 10 minutes left in the first half and taking that margin into halftime.
The Mavericks turned up the intensity in the second half, trimming the deficit back to eight points at 57-49 with 12:26 remaining on a coast-to-coast fast break dunk by Bailey. The foes traded a pair of free throws each and soon after Walters brought Mercy within seven at 60-53 with 10:50 left to play.
Mercy would get no closer despite limiting NYIT to just 35.7 percent shooting (9.1 percent beyond the arc) over the second half and the Bears left with the 83-71 victory.
Head Coach Adam Parmenter and the Mavericks will head upstate to Roberts Wesleyan College (3-5, 7-7) on Friday, Jan. 24.
