DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 1, 2022) – The Mercy College men's basketball team hosts ECC foe University of the District of Columbia on Saturday, December 3rd at 2 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, December 3rd 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (2-4, 1-0 ECC), Dist. Columbia (2-5, 0-1 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Dist. Columbia
UDC earned an 80-71 win over Mercy on February 26, 2022.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 69-67 win over Staten Island in their ECC opener on Wednesday. The Mavericks overcame an 18-point deficit and was led by senior James Taylor Jr. who had a game-high 20 points. Graduate student Sean Smith Jr. scored the game-winning basket with 10 seconds left and had 13 points. Junior Jayden Dewaal was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week and freshman Sean Conroy was tabbed Rookie of the Week on Monday. The Mavericks won their ECC opener for the first time since 2017 and look to start 2-0 in ECC play for the first time in over 20 years. Mercy picked up their first win over Bridgeport since 2013 on November 22nd and the Mavericks also won their home opener for the first time since 2017. The win over Bridgeport gave Interim Head Coach Chris Watts his first win as a collegiate head coach. The Mavericks are 9-12 in their last 21 games against UDC and are looking to win their second straight meeting against the Firebirds in Dobbs Ferry. Leading the Mavericks so far this season is Taylor Jr. who averages a team-high 13.3 points per game. Smith Jr. is second on the team with 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also averages 1.2 steals per game. Dewaal is third on the team averaging 8.6 points and posts a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game. Junior Braelon Joe posts 8.0 points per game and senior Brandon Wilson nets 8.0 points per game. Senior Garrett Kirkland is averaging 7.0 points per game and Conroy is posting 7.0 points per game on 37.0 percent shooting from downtown. Mercy was selected eighth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 6-19 overall last season and 6-12 in ECC play. The Mavericks just missed out on qualifying for the ECC Championship and are looking to make the Championship for the first time since 2021. Mercy has not qualified for the ECC Championship without every team making it since 2016. The Mavericks will be led by Watts who returns eight student-athletes from last year's team. Leading the returners is Taylor Jr. who averaged a team-high 13.3 points per game and Wilson who posted 11.2 points per game. Dewaal netted 9.7 points and a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game last season and Kirkland also returns after averaging 10.1 points per game in 2021-22. Watts will also look to graduate transfer Smith Jr. who had 11 points in the Mavericks exhibition contest against Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday. Conroy had five points against Fairleigh Dickinson and Joe will also see action after posting three points and three assists in the exhibition.
Scouting the Firebirds
UDC is coming off an 83-78 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in their ECC opener on Wednesday. The Firebirds have dropped three games in a row after starting the season 2-2. UDC was picked fourth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 9-20 overall last season and 8-10 in ECC play. The Firebirds lead the ECC with 83.6 points per game and shoot an ECC-best 44.5 percent from the floor. UDC is led by sophomore Michael Aiken who averages a team-high 14.6 points per game with 2.7 assists per game. Graduate student Juanye Colon is second on the team with 12.6 points per game and one-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week junior Micah Campbell posts 12.3 points per game and a team-high 10.0 rebounds per game. Senior Jahmir Marable-Williams averages 9.7 points per game and dishes out a team-high 5.3 assists per game.
Next Game
The Mavericks next game is on Tuesday, December 6th when they host Chestnut Hill at 7 p.m.
