DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 8, 2023) – The Mercy University men's basketball team plays at ECC foe University of the District of Columbia on Saturday, December 9th at 3 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, December 9th 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (0-9, 0-2 ECC), Dist. Columbia (3-5, 1-2 ECC)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Last Meeting vs. Dist. Columbia
UDC earned a 113-88 win over Mercy on January 28, 2023.
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks are coming off an 81-61 loss to Staten Island on Wednesday. Mercy was led by senior Jayden Dewaal who had a double-double by way of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Seniors Jay Turner and Braelon Joe and sophomore Asa Kone each had 10 points. Mercy was selected ninth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 6-20 overall and 3-13 in ECC play last season. The Mavericks are looking to make their first ECC Championship appearance since 2021. Mercy has not qualified for the ECC Championship without every team making it since 2016. The Mavericks are looking to win their season opener for the first time since 2017. Leading the returners for second-year Head Coach Chris Watts is senior Jayden Dewaal who was named Third Team All-ECC, ECC Player of the Week once and ECC Defensive Player of the Week twice last season. Dewaal averaged 12.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last season, leading the ECC in rebounds per game and ranking fifth with 1.5 blocks per game. Dewaal ranked fifth in Division II in rebounds per game and third in offensive rebounds per game a year ago. Also, returning is graduate student Garrett Kirkland who averaged 8.1 points per game last season in 16 starts. Senior Braelon Joe returns after averaging 5.1 points and 3.2 assists per game last season, leading the team in assists per game. Also returning for Watts are seniors Alex May and Jay Turner and sophomores Sean Conroy, Asa Kone and Robert Zmujdzin. The newcomers are led by junior Taj Chiles who joins the Mavericks from University of Bridgeport where he led the CACC in assists last season with 5.2 per game. Junior Max Mitchell joins Mercy from Roberts Wesleyan University where he averaged 3.3 points per game and shot 44.4 percent from downtown last season. Also, joining the Mavericks as transfers are sophomore Jamal Jacobs (West Virginia Wesleyan College), sophomore Thomas Mandell (Penn State-Berks) and junior Elijah Botnick (UConn Avery Point). Watts also welcomes a strong freshman class led by Zein Wahdan who joins the team from Egypt. Derek Long and Ashton Sannasi will also look to compete for time in their first season at Mercy. The Mavericks have been led by Dewaal who was named to the ECC Honor Roll on November 20th and averages a team-high 17.6 points and an East Region-best 11.1 rebounds per game on a team-best 57.0 percent shooting. Dewaal recorded his 500th career rebound against Goldey-Beacom on November 18th, becoming the 13th Maverick in program history to record 500 career rebounds. May was named to the ECC Honor Roll on November 13th and is second on the team with 13.1 points per game and averages 3.8 rebounds per game. Kirkland is third on the team with 8.8 points per game and is making a team-high 2.7 three-pointers per game. Conroy averages 6.1 points per game and Kone is netting 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Chiles is posting 8.4 points per game and a team-high 2.7 assists per game. The Mavericks are 9-14 all-time against UDC and have dropped the last three meetings. Mercy looks to win at UDC for the first time since 2018.
Scouting the Firebirds
UDC is coming off a 98-88 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday. The Firebirds were picked tied for third in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 13-14 last season. UDC is led by Eric Morgan Jr. who averages a team-high 13.3 points per game and by Hartnel Haye who averages 10.9 points per game and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game. Vernon Simmons is third on the team with 10.1 points per game and Tevin Curtis leads the Firebirds with 3.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Micah Campbell averages a team-high 1.6 blocks per game.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Sacred Heart in an exhibition game on December 30th at 2 p.m.
