DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 18, 2019) – Despite a combined 43 points from redshirt sophomore Bryan Griffin (Pomona, N.Y./Saint Joseph Regional) and graduate student Tawayne Anderson Jr. (Freeport, N.Y./Merrimack College), the Mercy College men's basketball team held their own against ECC foe No. 19 Daemen College before falling, 75-74, in the final seconds on Friday night at the Victory Hall Sports Center.
The Mavericks (4-10, 2-4 ECC) have dropped five games in a row, while the Wildcats (13-3, 5-1 ECC) improve to 12-0 all-time against Mercy.
Griffin recorded his tenth double-double of the year with 22 points and a career-high-tying 17 rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting. Anderson had a career-high 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting and senior Sal Barbetto (New City, N.Y./Rockland CC) posted 13 points and five assists. Senior Daquon Ervin (Brooklyn, N.Y./UMBC) added eight points on 2-of-4 shooting.
Daemen was led by Breon Harris who had a game-high 24 points and scored the game-winning basket with 12 seconds left.
The game saw eight ties and 17 lead changes with the largest lead of the night for either team being seven points. Daemen held a 24-23 lead with 5:10 left in the first half before a jumper and a dunk from Griffin put the Mavericks out in front by three, 27-24, with 3:21 remaining in the half. Mercy held a 29-26 edge following a Jefferson Francois (New York, N.Y./Hostos CC) jumper at the 2:29 mark, but the Wildcats ended the half on a 5-0 run to head into halftime up, 31-29.
A Deion Hamilton three at the 17:51 mark of the second half gave Daemen a 38-33 lead. However, the Mavericks continued to battle and followed with a 10-0 run to take their largest lead of the game, 43-38, with 16 minutes left.
Daemen briefly retook the lead, but a pair of Griffin free throws at the 12:09 mark gave Mercy a four-point lead, 51-47, with 12:09 remaining. The Wildcats responded with a 19-8 run to take their largest lead of the game, 66-59, with 4:50 left and looked to be pulling away from Mercy.
However, the Mavericks gathered themselves and came back with an 11-2 run, capped off by a Korey Lee (Huntington Station, N.Y./Trinity Pawling) three, that put Mercy back in front, 70-68, with 2:09 on the clock. Daemen answered with a pair of free throws to tie the game up for the eighth time at 70-70. An Ervin jumper on the next Mercy possession gave the Mavericks a 72-70 advantage with 1:14 left. Harris came down after empty possessions by both teams and missed a three with 30 seconds left. Griffin brought down the rebound and was fouled by Andrew Sischo. Griffin went on to make both to make it a four-point game, 74-70, with 27 seconds left. Harris came back down and drained a three to bring the score to 74-73 with 21 seconds left. After timeouts by both teams, a Mercy inbounds pass would be deflected by Quinn Lee Yaw and into the hands of Harris who made a tough shot at the basket to put Daemen up 75-74 with 12 seconds left. Following a Mercy timeout, Barbetto would have a look at the basket but was unable to connect and a couple of attempts at tipping the ball in would not go before Sischo got the rebound and was fouled with one second left. The Wildcats inbounded the ball and ran out the clock to secure the win.
Mercy shot 50.0 percent (28-of-56) from the floor, 29.4 percent (5-of-17) from downtown and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) from the foul line. Daemen shot 45.2 percent (28-of-62) from the field, 42.4 percent (14-of-33) from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent (5-of-6) from the charity stripe. Daemen held a 34-32 edge on the glass and Mercy held a 32-23 edge in points in the paint.
Head Coach Michael Maczko and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, January 20th when they host Roberts Wesleyan at 2 p.m.
