DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 24, 2023) – The Mercy College men's basketball team hosts ECC foe College of Staten Island on Wednesday, January 25th at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 25th 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (2-14, 1-7 ECC), Staten Island (5-13, 3-5 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Staten Island
Mercy earned a 69-67 win over Staten Island on November 30, 2022.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off an 82-56 loss to Queens on Saturday. The Mavericks were led by senior Garrett Kirkland who had a game-high-tying 16 points and by senior James Taylor Jr. who had 11 points. Senior Brandon Wilson added 10 points. Taylor Jr. was named to the ECC Honor Roll on December 5th. Junior Jayden Dewaal was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week and freshman Sean Conroy was tabbed Rookie of the Week on November 28th. The Mavericks won their ECC opener for the first time since 2017 on November 30th against Staten Island. 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. Mercy is 2-1 all-time against Staten Island. Leading the Mavericks so far this season is graduate student Sean Smith Jr. who averages a team-high 14.4 points per game with 5.8 rebounds and a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Taylor Jr. averages 11.7 points per game with 1.9 assists per game. Dewaal is third on the team averaging 10.7 points per game on a team-best 52.6 percent shooting and posts a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game. The junior ranks third in the ECC in rebounds per game and fourth in field goal percentage. Junior Braelon Joe posts 5.9 points per game with a team-high 3.6 assists per game and senior Brandon Wilson nets 7.3 points per game. Senior Garrett Kirkland is averaging 8.7 points per game and Conroy is posting 5.8 points per game. 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 Dolphins
Staten Island dropped an 87-81 decision to Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday for their second straight loss. The Dolphins were picked sixth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 7-19 overall and 6-12 in ECC play last season. Staten Island is led by one-time ECC Player of the Week and one-time Defensive Player of the Week Messiah Mallory who averages a team-high 15.9 points per game, 2.4 blocks per game and 9.0 rebounds per game on 48.6 percent shooting. One-time ECC Player of the Week and three-time Rookie of the Week James Chestnut posts 9.9 points per game and dishes out a team-high 5.7 assists per game. Jordan McAllister nets 14.8 points per game and Bryce Waterman contributes 14.3 points per game and makes 3.6 threes per game. Luis Armas adds 13.0 points per game and Chris Velasquez scores 9.4 points per game.
Next Game
The Mavericks next game is on Saturday, January 28th when they play at District of Columbia at 3 p.m.
