DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 17, 2021) – Despite a career-high 22 points from junior Brandon Wilson (Farmingdale, N.J./Covenant College Prep), the Mercy College men's basketball team dropped a 79-75 decision to ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan College on Friday night at Victory Gymnasium.
The Mavericks (0-9, 0-2 ECC) remain winless on the year, while the Redhawks (4-4, 2-1 ECC) improve to .500 on the year.
Wilson had a game-high 22 points on 10-of-21 shooting with six rebounds. Junior James Taylor Jr. (South Chesterfield, Va./Neosho County CC) had a season-high 19 points with six rebounds and junior Elijah Mitchell (Edison, N.J./Monroe College) had 13 points with six rebounds and four assists. Senior Korey Lee (Huntington Station, N.Y./Trinity Pawling) added a season-high eight points with a team-high-tying seven rebounds.
Roberts Wesleyan was led by Shane Fanning who had a team-high 17 points.
Mercy took a 10-9 lead with 12:40 left in the opening half, following a Jay Turner (Waterbury, Conn./Notre Dame West Haven Prep) layup. The score was later tied at 12-12 before the Redhawks went on a 9-3 run to take a 21-15 lead with 8:39 on the clock.
A Taylor Jr. three at the 7:14 mark got Mercy to within two, 23-21. However, the visitors went on a 6-0 spurt to take a 29-21 lead with five minutes left in the half. Roberts Wesleyan later held a 31-23 lead, but the Mavericks chipped away with a 6-0 run of their own to get within two, 31-29, with 2:34 remaining in the half. The Redhawks closed out the half on a 6-0 run to take a 37-29 lead at halftime.
The Mavericks started the second half on an 8-0 run, capped off by a Wilson layup, to tie the game at 37-37. The guests ensued with an 8-2 run to take the lead back and increase it to six, 45-39, with 14:52 left. Mercy regrouped and rallied with a 7-0 run, finished off by a Mitchell three, to take a 46-45 lead with 13 minutes to play.
The Redhawks quickly put forth a 12-4 run to take the lead back and increase it to seven, 57-50, with nine minutes to play. A Wilson layup at the 8:27 mark made it a three-point game, but the guests later built the lead to nine, 68-59, following a Fanning three.
Mercy cut the deficit to four on four different occasions but could not get closer and the Redhawks came away with the win.
Mercy shot 40.6 percent (28-of-69) from the floor, 33.3 percent (8-of-24) from downtown and 91.7 percent (11-of-12) from the foul line. Roberts Wesleyan shot 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the field, 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from beyond the arc and 67.7 percent (21-of-31) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 39-36 edge on the glass.
Head Coach Michael Maczko and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, December 19th when they play at Bridgeport at 3 p.m.
