Stokes Drops in Season-High 25 Points as Men's Basketball Earns First Home Win Over Queens Since 2008
Box Score DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 12, 2015) – Senior Shaquille Stokes (Harlem, N.Y./College of Saint Rose) scored a game-high 25 points and senior Tyseem Lyles (Brooklyn, N.Y./Tompkins Cortland CC) added 17 points as the Mercy College men's basketball team overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to shock Queens College, 74-70, in an ECC matchup on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (2-4, 1-2 ECC) pick up their first ECC win of the year and defeat the Knights (2-4, 1-1 ECC) for the first time since taking a 60-54 decision at Queens on February 18, 2012. Mercy defeats the Knights for the first time on their home floor since earning a 65-59 victory on January 26, 2008.
Stokes reached a season high in points on 7-of-16 shooting and added four assists, while Lyles shot an efficient 7-of-12 from the floor and chipped in four steals. Junior William Robinson (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Nyack College) recorded another double-double by way of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Junior K.J. Rose (Binghamton, N.Y./Fairfield University) ended the afternoon with seven points and seven rebounds.
Queens was led by Marquise Roberts who scored a team-high 15 points to top four scoring in double figures.
Mercy faced a tall task in taking on a Queens squad that had defeated perennial ECC power St. Thomas Aquinas on the road on Wednesday. However, the Mavericks were up to the challenge as they opened the contest on a 9-3 run. The Knights came back with a 10-1 run to take a 13-10 lead with 13:12 left in the opening half.
The two teams traded baskets before Queens ensued with a 10-2 run after the score was tied at 19-19 to take a 29-21 lead with seven minutes on the clock. Mercy would close out the first half on a 19-8 run capped off by a Lyles layup to take a 40-37 lead into halftime.
Both teams shot well in the opening half as the Mavericks hit a blistering 57.7 percent of their attempts and the Knights made 50.0 percent of their shots.
Queens came out of the intermission with something to prove as they opened up the period on a 14-1 run to take their largest lead of the game, 51-41, with 15:40 remaining. The Mavericks, who have held halftime leads in each of their four losses this season, looked to be heading down the wrong path again.
The Knights maintained a 63-55 advantage with 8:43 on the clock before Mercy showed that this game was not going to end like the previous four. The Mavericks followed with an 11-2 run over the next five minutes, capped off by another Lyles layup that gave Mercy its first lead, 66-65, since early in the second half.
A Kyheim Chaplin free throw evened things up at 66-66 before Stokes came down and drained one of his three trifectas to put the Mavericks up 69-66 with 2:47 left. A Roberts jumper on the next possession got the Knights within one, 69-68, with 2:19 left. A missed three-pointer by Mercy on their next trip led to Tyree White being fouled on the next Queens possession. The junior made both from the charity stripe to put the Knights back up 70-69 with 1:28 on the clock.
The Mavericks came down on their next possession looking to retake the lead and they would on a Rose three-point play that gave Mercy a 72-70 lead with 1:06 left. Out of a Mavericks timeout, Queens came down looking to even things up but the Mercy defense stood strong as they forced ECC Player of the Year candidate White into a tough shot and Robinson secured the rebound. After letting precious seconds off the clock, Queens would foul the Mavericks best free throw shooter in Stokes at the 28 second mark. Stokes, who went 8-of-8 from the charity stripe, made both to increase the lead to four, 74-70. Mercy employed a press after the makes and the Knights had difficulty finding an avenue for a shot. Queens put up a trifecta with seven seconds on the clock but it was unable to fall and the Knights ran out of time as the Mavericks held on for the comeback victory.
Mercy ended the afternoon hitting 45.5 percent (25-of-55) of their attempts, while Queens made 48.1 percent (25-of-52) of their shots. The Mavericks held a 33-31 edge on the boards and went 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from downtown.
Head Coach Dr. Jody King and the Mavericks look to build off win as they travel to NYIT on December 19th for a 3 p.m. start.
