Cosbert Drops in Season-High 18 Points as Men's Basketball Plays at Daemen
Box Score AMHERST, N.Y. (Jan. 9, 2016) – Despite a season-high 18 points from junior Isaiah Cosbert (Queens, N.Y./Sullivan CC) and a second-half rally, the Mercy College men's basketball team dropped a 94-81 decision to Daemen College in an East Coast Conference (ECC) showdown on Saturday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (4-6, 2-4 ECC) have now dropped two games in a row following their three-game winning streak, while the Wildcats (6-6, 2-3 ECC) improve to .500 on the year and have won three of their last four games.
Cosbert put up his season high in only 19 minutes of action and went 7-of-13 from the floor. Junior K.J. Rose (Binghamton, N.Y./Fairfield University) added 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while senior Shaquille Stokes (Harlem, N.Y./College of Saint Rose) netted 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Senior Tyseem Lyles (Brooklyn, N.Y./Tompkins Cortland CC) scored nine points and junior William Robinson (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Nyack College) recorded eight points and eight rebounds.
Daemen was led by Torrence Dyck who led all scorers with 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
After dropping a narrow decision to Roberts Wesleyan yesterday, the Mavericks looked to get back in the column and got off to a 5-2 lead following five points from Lyles. The Wildcats followed with an 8-2 run to take a 10-7 lead with 16 minutes left in the half.
A Gerald McClease (New Haven, Conn./Sullivan CC) layup at the 15:41 mark got the Mavericks within one, 10-9, but that would be the closest Mercy got for the remainder of the game as the hosts ensued with a 14-0 run to build the lead up to 24-9 with 12:17 remaining in the first half.
Daemen built the lead to as many as 26 points in the first half and headed into the locker rooms up 53-29. The Wildcats shot a blistering 55.2 percent from the floor in the half, including an impressive 8-of-15 from downtown to build the large halftime lead.
Despite the large halftime deficit, the Mavericks would not quit in the second half as they started the frame on a 13-1 run to cut the deficit to just 12, 54-42, with 15:12 remaining. Daemen responded with a pair of free throws to increase the lead back to 14 before Robinson made a layup at the 14:57 mark to once again get Mercy within 12, 56-44.
The Wildcats increased the lead back to 20, 66-46, with 11 minutes left after a 10-2 run and held a double-digit lead the rest of the way. The Mavericks were able to get within 12, 88-76, following a Stokes tip-in at the 1:40 mark, but could not get closer as the deficit proved too much for Mercy to overcome.
Mercy shot 43.0 percent (34-of-79) on the day, while Daemen made 52.8 percent (28-of-53) of their attempts. The Wildcats went 11-of-24 from downtown and 27-of-38 from the charity stripe, while the Mavericks only went 4-of-21 from beyond the arc and 9-of-15 from the free throw line. Mercy held a 45-36 edge on the glass, including a 21-9 margin on the offensive glass, which they turned into 26-16 advantage in second chance points. The Mavericks also held a 48-24 edge in points in the paint and a 43-21 edge in bench points.
Head Coach Dr. Jody King and the Mavericks will look to bounce back as they return home to face St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday, January 12th at 7:30 p.m.
