FLUSHING, N.Y. (Jan. 10, 2018) – Despite a game high 21 points from senior Marko Kozul (Astoria, N.Y./Felician University), the Mercy College men's basketball team dropped an 81-78 decision to ECC foe Queens College on Wednesday night at Fitzgerald Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (7-8, 3-4 ECC) fall below .500 on the year and in ECC play, while the Knights (5-7, 3-2 ECC) move over .500 in ECC play with the win.
Kozul went 9-of-12 from the field and added five rebounds, while junior Dequawne Richards (Bronx, N.Y./Hostos CC) added 20 points and seven rebounds. Junior Chris Myers (Hackensack, N.J./Southeastern CC) contributed 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and senior Kelvin Howard (Temple Hills, Md./Baltimore City CC) recorded a team best 11 rebounds.
Queens was led by Elijah Bovell and Tyrone Hall who had a team high 11 points.
Mercy opened the night with the game's first three points, but the hosts came back on a 12-4 run to take a 12-7 lead with 15:55 left in the half. The Knights increased the lead to six, 21-15, after a Wayne Li layup at the 12:07 mark. The Mavericks immediately followed with a 6-0 run, capped off by a jumper from Kozul that tied the game up at 21-21 with just under ten minutes left in the half.
The Knights regained their momentum and went on a 10-2 run that put their lead at eight, 31-23, with 6:20 remaining before halftime. Sensing the game way getting away, the Mavericks went on a 10-2 run to even the score again at 33-33 at the 2:47 mark. The score was tied at 36-36 before Queens closed the half on a 4-0 run to take a 40-36 lead at halftime.
The second half saw the Knights score the first four points to take a 44-36 lead. The Mavericks looked to get back into the game and ensued with a 15-6 run, finished off by a Richards dunk, that gave Mercy a 51-50 lead with 15:21 left. The lead was short-lived as Queens went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead at 57-51 with 12:55 on the clock.
After a timeout, the Mavericks regained the lead, 58-57, after a 7-0 run. The two teams would trade the lead back-and-forth before the score was tied at 64-64 with 8:05 remaining after a Howard jumper. The teams continued to go back-and-forth with the score being tied for a 13th time at 76-76 with just 1:56 remaining.
A Tyrese Crosdale jumper gave the Knights a 78-76 lead with 1:50 on the clock. Bovell later gave Queens a three-point lead, 79-76, after a free throw with 1:10 left. A Kozul layup made it a one-point contest, 79-78, with 52 seconds remaining. The senior looked to convert the three-point play to tie the game but was unable to connect leading to a Queens rebound and Mercy foul. Jordan Curtis missed the front end of the 1-and-1 leading to a Richards rebound. Richards missed a jumper on the other end leading to a Knight rebound. The Mavericks were forced to foul sending Bovell to the line. Bovell made both to make it an 81-78 game with 27 seconds left. Out of a timeout, a Sal Barbetto (New City, N.Y./Rockland CC) three would not fall and the Knights emerged victorious.
Mercy shot 40.5 percent (30-of-74) from the floor, 28.0 percent (7-of-25) from beyond the arc and 73.3 percent (11-of-15) from the foul line. Queens shot 40.5 percent (30-of-74) from the floor, 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from downtown and 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the charity stripe.
Head Coach Michael Maczko and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, January 13th when they host Molloy College at 3 p.m. at Nyack College.
