Rose Scores Game-High-Tying 20 Points as Men's Basketball Earns First Road Win Over NYIT Since 2006
Box Score OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (Dec. 19, 2015) – Powered by a game-high-tying 20 points from junior K.J. Rose (Binghamton, N.Y./Fairfield University) on a blistering 10-of-12 shooting afternoon, the Mercy College men's basketball team picked up their second straight East Coast Conference (ECC) victory with an 84-70 triumph over NYIT on Saturday afternoon at Recreation Hall.
The Mavericks (3-4, 2-2 ECC) have now won back-to-back conference games for the first time since the 2012-13 season and beat the Bears (1-9, 0-4 ECC) for the first time since January 11, 2010. Mercy also defeats NYIT on the road for the first time since 2006 and are off to their best conference start since starting 2-2 in 2007-08.
Rose also added six rebounds and a game-high four steals, while junior William Robinson (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Nyack College) ended the afternoon with 17 points and six rebounds on 8-of-15 shooting. Fellow junior Raphael Jennings (Washington, D.C./ASA College) had his best game as a Maverick with his first double-double of the season by way of 14 points and 10 boards.
NYIT was led by Jeffrey Hayden who had a game-high-tying 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting while adding seven rebounds.
Mercy came into the contest looking to build off their come-from-behind victory last week against Queens but would find themselves trailing 9-6 with 16:52 left in the opening half. However, the Mavericks responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes that gave them a 15-9 lead and they did not trail again.
The Bears got within four, 17-13, with 12:15 showing on the first half clock before Mercy came back with six unanswered to take their first double-digit lead of the game at 23-13. NYIT cut the deficit to six, 32-26, with 4:24 left in the half, but the Mavericks closed the period on an 11-3 run to take a 43-29 lead into the intermission.
The opening half saw the Mavericks shoot 48.7 percent from the floor and were led by 14 points from Rose in the half.
Mercy came out of the locker rooms and began the second half on an 8-3 run that increased their lead to a game-high 19 points, 51-32, with 15:24 remaining following a pair of Robinson layups. The Mavericks looked to be well on their way to another win, but the Bears would not go down without a fight.
NYIT ensued with a 22-12 run that cut the Mercy lead to 63-54 with 8:22 to play. At the 7:49 mark Rose picked up his fourth foul and was forced to the bench. The Bears responded by cutting the deficit to five, 69-64, with 4:26 left after a Jerrel Green layup.
However, the Mavericks were not going to be denied the victory as a layup and three-point play from Robinson on back-to-back possessions increased the lead back to 10, 74-64, with three minutes left. Hayden answered with a jumper on the next NYIT trip down the floor, but senior Tyseem Lyles (Brooklyn, N.Y./Tompkins Cortland CC) came back with the dagger, a trifecta, at the 2:30 mark that gave Mercy a 77-66 advantage.
Hayden nailed another jumper on the next possession to make it 77-68 but the Mavericks closed the contest out on a 7-2 run as Mercy's defense stepped up to the challenge to secure the win.
The Mavericks ended the afternoon shooting an efficient 47.9 percent (35-of-73) from the floor, while the Bears hit 49.1 percent (27-of-55). Mercy held a 43-33 edge on the glass, including 16-7 on the offensive boards. The Mavericks also forced 20 NYIT turnovers which they turned into a 23-11 advantage in points off turnovers. Mercy also maintained a 58-36 edge in points in the paint.
Head Coach Dr. Jody King and the Mavericks resume play when they host Georgian Court on Monday, January 4th at 7 p.m.
