Keshinro Posts Sixth Double-Double with 21 Points, 19 Rebounds vs. Dowling
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 7, 2014) – Senior Olajide Keshinro (Brooklyn, N.Y. / SUNY Cobleskill) posted a monstrous 21-point, 19-rebound double-double for his team-leading sixth of the season and broke the program's season record in blocks as the Mercy College men's basketball team hosted conference-leading Dowling College on Thursday night.
An unlucky shooting night from beyond the arc proved to be the Mavericks' downfall in the 86-72 defeat. Mercy is now 2-18 overall and 2-12 in the East Coast Conference while Dowling retains the top spot in the conference at 18-4 (12-2).
The Mavericks stormed out to a 7-0 lead punctuated by a deep three-pointer from senior Chaz Morrish (Douglaston, N.Y. / St. Mary's) at the 16:50 mark, but the fast-breaking Golden Lions soon turned the tables to take an 11-10 lead four minutes later.
Junior Terrance Murchie (Franklin Square, N.Y. / H. Frank Carey) hit a three from the corner off an inbounds play to push Mercy back up to a 13-11 lead, but Dowling kept up the intensity and soon led 20-13 at 10:54.
Mercy responded in a big way, however, as sophomore Nate Stitchell (Coventry, R.I. / Coventry) dished out a pair of beautiful assists, to the trailing Morrish for three and a blazing hook pass to Keshinro under the basket for the dunk, and Murchie fought for an offensive rebound and putback to tie things up at 20-20 with 9:03 left in the first half.
A Keshinro layup made it 22-22 at 7:54 after a Dowling bucket before the Golden Lions hit their full stride, posting a 22-7 run over the final minutes of the half to go into the break up by 15, 44-29.
Mercy fought back to within single digits at 49-40 with 14:20 remaining, but would get no closer as Dowling went on to the victory.
Keshinro recorded his third 20-point game of the season on 7-of-10 shooting. The 19 rebounds (seven offensive) were a career high and he added one steal and four blocks, which brought his season total to a program-record 53. Murchie and senior P.J. Walters (Hempstead, N.Y. / Wheaton College) also finished in double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively, while senior Kirk Bailey (Freeport, N.Y. / St. Mary's) grabbed 14 rebounds (five offensive). Morrish and Stitchell combined for seven assists while Morrish and Walters combined to make five steals.
Head Coach Adam Parmenter and the Mavericks will head to the University of Bridgeport (10-9, 8-5) on Saturday, Feb. 8. The ECC matchup will be broadcast online via Livestats and video, which can be accessed through the team's schedule page.
