DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 1, 2023) – Powered by five Mavericks scoring in double figures, the Mercy College men's basketball team earned a convincing 95-51 win over Cheyney University on Wednesday night at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center.
The Mavericks (3-16) snap a 12-game losing streak with the win over the Wolves (5-15). The 51 points allowed is the fewest allowed by Mercy this season and the 95 points scored are the most scored by the Mavericks since they scored 100 points against St. Thomas Aquinas on January 3, 2018. The 44-point win is the largest margin of victory for the Mavericks since a 54-point win over Purchase in 2000.
Mercy was led by junior Jayden Dewaal (Toronto, Canada/Trinidad State Junior College) who recorded a double-double by way of 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting with a game-high 15 rebounds. Senior James Taylor Jr. (South Chesterfield, Va./Neosho County CC) had 14 points and a game-high 10 assists and senior Brandon Wilson (Farmingdale, N.J./Covenant College Prep) netted 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from downtown. Graduate student Sean Smith Jr. (Yonkers, N.Y./University of New Haven) contributed 12 points and senior Jonathan Lapierre (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) had a career-high 10 points with seven rebounds. Freshman Sean Conroy (Staten Island, N.Y./Trinity-Pawling) chipped in nine points and freshman Asa Kone (Bronx, N.Y./Eagle Academy for Young Men) had a career-high eight points and eight rebounds. Junior Braelon Joe (Houston, Texas/Monroe College) recorded four points and junior Jay Turner (Waterbury, Conn./Notre Dame West Haven Prep) finished with four points and six rebounds. Junior Damani Scott (Mansfield, Mass./Quincy College) produced three points.
Cheyney was led by Kian Nixon who had a game-high 18 points.
Mercy opened the game on an 11-0 run, capped off by a Wilson three, at the 15:39 mark of the first half. Cheyney scored the next five points to make it 11-5. The Mavericks followed with a 10-2 run, finished off by a pair of Kone free throws, to take a 21-7 lead with 11:42 left in the half.
The Wolves would cut the deficit to nine, 22-13, with nine minutes left in the half. However, the Mavericks would end the half on a 22-7 run, finished off by a Taylor Jr. three, to take a 44-20 lead at halftime.
The Mavericks began the second half on a 15-5 run to take a 59-25 lead with 14 minutes left after a Scott three. Cheyney later made it 65-34 before Mercy scored the next 12 points to take a 77-34 lead with eight minutes remaining after a Smith Jr. layup.
The Wolves later cut the deficit to 36, 87-51, with 3:18 on the clock. Mercy scored the final eight points of the game to take their largest lead of the game, 95-51, with 36 seconds left and cruised to the win.
Mercy shot a season-high 52.8 percent (38-of-72) from the floor, 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from downtown and 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from the foul line. Cheyney shot 31.3 percent (20-of-64) from the field, 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from beyond the arc and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 55-27 edge on the glass and had a season-high 27 assists on 38 made baskets.
Interim Head Coach Chris Watts and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, February 4th when they play at Roberts Wesleyan at 4 p.m.
