WATERBURY, Conn. (Nov. 16, 2019) – Despite a career-high 23 points from junior Matthew Alectus (Hollywood, Fla./Hallandale), the Mercy College men's basketball team dropped a 99-77 decision to Post University on Saturday afternoon at the Drubner Center.
The Mavericks (0-4) have dropped four games in a row, while the Eagles (3-0) remain unbeaten.
Alectus went 7-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-8 from downtown. Redshirt junior Bryan Griffin (Pomona, N.Y./Saint Joseph Regional) had 15 points and nine rebounds and junior Nakeem Hamilton (Bronx, N.Y./Hostos CC) had 14 points.
Post was led by Devonte McCall who had a game-high 25 points and ten rebounds.
The Eagles scored the game's first five points and took a 17-6 lead with 15:37 remaining in the first half. Mercy answered by cutting the lead to seven, 20-13, at the 14:16 mark following a Griffin dunk. Post rallied back with a 7-2 run to build the lead to 12, 27-15, with 11:45 on the clock, but the Mavericks continued to battle and went on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to five, 29-24, with 9:13 left in the half.
The hosts came back on an 18-7 run to increase the lead to 16, 47-31, at the 4:44 mark. Mercy then scored six points in a row to make it 47-37 and the Mavericks headed into halftime down, 53-42, after a Garrett Kirkland (Springdale, Md./Bishop McNamara) three with 23 seconds left countered a three from Post which had made it a 14-point game.
A Griffin layup to open the second half cut the deficit to single digits, 53-44. However, Post ensued with an 8-0 run to take a 61-44 lead with 16:55 remaining. Mercy made it a 15-point game, 63-48, after a Korey Lee (Huntington Station, N.Y./Trinity Pawling) layup, but the hosts went on a 9-3 run to take a 72-51 lead with 12:17 left to play.
The Eagles later built the lead to a game-high 26 points, 93-67, with 4:46 on the clock and held on for the win.
Mercy shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the floor, 35.0 percent (7-of-20) from downtown and 69.0 percent (20-of-29) from the foul line. Post shot 44.1 percent (30-of-68) from the field, 41.2 percent (14-of-34) from beyond the arc and 92.6 percent (25-of-27) from the charity stripe.
Head Coach Michael Maczko and the Mavericks resume action on Wednesday, November 20th when they play at Pace at 7 p.m.
