DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 21, 2019) – Powered by a team-high 21 points from senior Sal Barbetto (New City, N.Y./Rockland CC), the Mercy College men's basketball team earned a 75-73 victory over ECC foe NYIT on Thursday night at the Victory Hall Sports Center.

The Mavericks (7-16, 5-10 ECC) snap a five-game losing streak with the win and sit 1.5 games behind Queens for the sixth and final ECC Tournament spot, while the Bears (2-23, 2-14 ECC) have lost nine games in a row.

Barbetto went 6-of-14 from the floor and had a game-high four assists. Senior Amir Atkins (Alexandria, Va./Hagerstown CC) added 20 points and five rebounds and redshirt sophomore Bryan Griffin (Pomona, N.Y./Saint Joseph Regional) netted 15 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Matthew Alectus (Hollywood, Fla./Hallandale) and freshman Korey Lee (Huntington Station, N.Y./Trinity Pawling) both contributed seven points.

NYIT was led by Collins Onyeike who had a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds.

Mercy opened the game on a 10-2 run, capped off by a Barbetto three at the 18:07 mark, leading to a Bears timeout. Out of the timeout, the visitors tied the game up at 12-12 with 16:12 remaining in the half. The Mavericks later took the lead at 21-20 with 10:39 left in the period after a Barbetto layup, but the Bears answered back on a 10-3 run to take a 30-24 lead with 6:31 remaining in the half.

The visitors later built the lead to seven, 33-26, at the 4:27 mark but Mercy battled back and cut the deficit to three, 37-34, at halftime after a Griffin jumper.

The Bears increased the lead back to six, 40-34, with 19:07 left to play, but the Mavericks roared back on a 7-1 run, capped off by a Barbetto three-point play, that tied the game up at 41-41. NYIT retook the lead at 50-47, but the Mavericks came back on a 15-5 run, finished off by a Griffin three-point play, that gave Mercy a 62-55 lead with 8:10 remaining.

The Mavericks held a four-point lead, 72-68, with 44 seconds left after two Barbetto free throws. After the teams traded empty possessions, Kieran Hamilton nailed a three for NYIT to get the Bears within one, 72-71, with 13 seconds left. Both teams traded a pair of made free throws to bring the score to 74-73 in favor of Mercy with five seconds left. Lee went 1-of-2 from the foul line to make it 75-73 and the Mavericks would survive a last second chance to tie by the Bears to secure the win.

Mercy shot 42.2 percent (27-of-64) from the field, 21.7 percent (5-of-23) from beyond the arc and 76.2 percent (16-of-21) from the foul line. NYIT shot 42.2 percent (27-of-64) from the floor, 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from downtown and 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the charity stripe. The Bears held a 45-37 edge on the boards.

Head Coach Michael Maczko and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, February 23rd when they play at LIU Post at 3:30 p.m.