Three Reach Double Figures as Men's Basketball Faces Wilmington (Del.)
Box Score NEWARK, Del. (Dec. 15, 2014) – Despite a team-high 15 points from junior Jeremiah Brown (Queens Bridge, N.Y./Hostos CC), the Mercy College men's basketball suffered a 99-69 defeat to Wilmington University on Monday night at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Mavericks (3-4) lose their fourth straight after starting the season 3-0, while the Wildcats (2-7) have now won two in a row after dropping seven straight to start the season.
A hot-shooting night by the opposition doomed Mercy once again as the hosts shot 55.7 percent (39-for-70) from the field and connected on an impressive 14 trifectas at a 48.3 percent clip.
The Mavericks scored the first point of the contest and hung tough early as the score was tied at 7-7 with 15:52 left in the first half following a freshman Matthew Boyd (Hempstead, N.Y./Half Hallow Hills East) jumper. However, Wilmington responded with a 9-0 run that put them up for good at 16-7 with 13:28 left in the frame.
Junior Gerald McClease (New Haven, Conn./Sullivan CC) cut the deficit to five, 20-15, at the 10:43 mark, but the Wildcats distanced themselves by finishing the half on a 35-15 run to head into the lockers with a comfortable 55-30 lead.
Mercy was able to shoot a respectable 42.3 percent from the floor in the period, but couldn't keep pace with a Wilmington squad that shot a blistering 55.3 percent in the half and made seven triples.
The home team continued its strong shooting in the second half and the closest the Mavericks would be able to get in the stanza was 21, 77-56, after back-to-back baskets from Terrance Murchie (Franklin Square, N.Y./H. Frank Carey) with 8:34 remaining.
Mercy upped their shooting to 48.1 percent in the second half to finish the night at 45.3 percent (24-for-53), but Wilmington was able to put together a 56.2 percent half and go 7-for-12 from downtown to seal the win.
The Mavericks won the battle on the glass, 33-32, and second chance points, 16-8, but committed 15 turnovers that led to 21 points for the Wildcats.
Brown finished 5-for-11 from the field and had four rebounds, while Boyd continued his strong play with a career-high 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and dished out four assists. Murchie rounded out three Mavericks scoring in double figures with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the floor. Junior Joshua Thompson (Chester, Pa./Globe Institute) nearly recorded a double-double finishing with a season-high eight points and nine boards.
Head Coach Dr. Jody King and the Mavericks look to rebound as they host Felician College on Thursday, December 18th at 7 p.m.
