Stokes Scores Team-High 22 Points as Men's Basketball Keeps Pace in ECC Playoff Race With Victory Over UDC
Box Score WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Feb. 18, 2016) – Powered by a team-high 22 points from senior Shaquille Stokes (Harlem, N.Y./College of Saint Rose), the Mercy College men's basketball team overcame a double-digit first-half deficit to defeat the University of the District of Columbia, 87-84, on Thursday night at the Westchester County Center to remain one game ahead for the final ECC Tournament spot.
The Mavericks (12-11, 9-8 ECC) snap a two-game skid and sweep the season series with the Firebirds (13-12, 11-6 ECC) for the first time since the visitors joined the conference prior to the 2011-12 season. Mercy now has its most wins since the 2004-05 season when the Mavericks also won 12 games. Mercy remains one game ahead of Dowling for the sixth and final playoff spot with the two teams meeting again on Wednesday, February 24th in Oakdale.
Stokes finished 7-of-13 from the floor, while senior Gerald McClease (New Haven, Conn./Sullivan CC) put up a season-high 19 points along with a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Tyseem Lyles (Brooklyn, N.Y./Tompkins Cortland CC) rounded out three scoring in double figures with 12 points.
Joseph Nickerson paced UDC with a game-high 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting to go along with nine rebounds.
Mercy, who improved to 3-0 at the County Center, jumped out of the gates early as they took a 6-0 lead at the 17:35 mark and looked to be on a mission. However, the visitors responded with a 12-2 run to build a 12-8 advantage with 12:19 left in the frame.
The Firebirds built the lead up to eight, 21-13, with 9:35 showing on the clock and increased their lead to a game-high 11 points, 30-19, at the 7:19 mark following a pair of Reggie Sidbury free throws. The Mavericks came back with six unanswered to inch within five, but UDC immediately ensued with six straight of their own to put the lead back to 11, 36-25, with 2:13 left before half.
Mercy headed into the locker rooms down eight, 40-32, as senior Jeremiah Brown (Queens Bridge, N.Y./Hostos CC) nailed a jumper at the buzzer to give the Mavericks momentum heading into halftime.
A McClease trifecta at the 14:43 mark capped a 13-6 run to begin the second half for Mercy that got them within one, 46-45. However, the visitors had one last run in them as a Nickerson layup with 9:08 on the clock increased the lead back to eight, 63-55.
UDC looked to be pulling away from the Mavericks but late game heroics have become a tradition at Mercy and tonight was no different. A 15-7 run by the Mavericks, capped off by a pair Stokes free throws, evened up the score at 70-70 with 4:38 left for the first time since the 11:31 mark of the first half.
Five in a row from Nickerson gave the Firebirds a five-point lead, 75-70, with 3:32 left. Mercy would respond with a 10-4 run to take their first lead since the 14:37 mark of the first half at 80-79 with 1:19 left. Following a defensive stand by the Mavericks defense, McClease was fouled and sank two at the charity stripe to give Mercy an 82-79 lead with 53 seconds left.
Virgil Fleming answered with a deuce to cut the Mavericks lead to one, 82-81, but Stokes followed with one of his biggest baskets as a Maverick with 13 seconds on the clock to make it 84-81. Mercy fouled on the next UDC possession to avoid the game-tying opportunity and Nickerson went 1-of-2 to make it 84-82. The Firebirds fouled McClease again on the next Mercy trip and the senior went 1-of-2 to increase the lead back to three, 85-82, with nine seconds left.
The Mavericks fouled again and Erin Senegal made both to cut it to a one-point game, 85-84, with six seconds left. Mercy would inbound the ball to Lyles who made a pair at the line to give the Mavericks an 87-84 lead with four seconds left and a desperation heave from midcourt for the Firebirds would come up short.
Mercy shot 43.3 percent (26-of-60) from the floor, while UDC shot 51.7 percent (30-of-58). The Mavericks shot 30-of-39 from the charity stripe compared to 19-of-29 by the visitors. Mercy held a 37-36 edge on the glass and an 11-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Head Coach Dr. Jody King and the Mavericks look to make it two wins in a row as they travel to Bridgeport on Monday, February 22nd for a 7 p.m. tip.
