DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 15, 2023) – The Mercy College men's basketball team plays at ECC foe D'Youville University on Friday, February 17th at 8 p.m. before playing at ECC foe Daemen University on Sunday, February 19th at 2 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Friday, February 17th 8 p.m.
Records: Mercy (4-18, 1-11 ECC), D'Youville (4-18, 3-10 ECC)
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.
Date/Time: Sunday, February 19th 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (4-18, 1-11 ECC), Daemen (16-7, 9-4 ECC)
Location: Amherst, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. D'Youville
Mercy dropped an 89-82 decision to D'Youville on December 9, 2022.
Last Meeting vs. Daemen
Daemen earned an 86-62 win over Mercy on December 11, 2022.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 79-72 win over Bridgeport on Saturday. The Mavericks won at Bridgeport for the first time since 2005 and swept the season series with the Purple Knights for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Graduate student Sean Smith Jr. had a game-high 24 points, senior James Taylor Jr. netted 13 points and senior Jonathan Lapierre had 12 points. Junior Jayden Dewaal was named ECC Player and Defensive Player of the Week last week and was named to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. He was also named Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Division II-III Player of the Week last Tuesday. Smith Jr. was named to the ECC Honor Roll on January 30th and was tabbed Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention on January 31st. Taylor Jr. was named to the ECC Honor Roll on December 5th. 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 on November 22nd gave Interim Head Coach Chris Watts his first win as a collegiate head coach. Mercy is 2-2 all-time against D'Youville and 1-0 all-time at D'Youville. The Mavericks are 0-19 all-time against Daemen. Leading the Mavericks so far this season is Smith Jr. who averages a team-high 15.6 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and a team-high 1.6 steals per game. Smith Jr. ranks fourth in the ECC in points per game. Taylor Jr. averages 11.5 points per game with 2.6 assists per game. Dewaal is second on the team averaging 11.7 points per game on a team-best 51.9 percent shooting and posts a team-high 10.3 rebounds per game. The junior leads the ECC in rebounds per game and is fifth in field goal percentage. Junior Braelon Joe posts 5.5 points per game with a team-high 3.3 assists per game and senior Brandon Wilson nets 7.4 points per game. Senior Garrett Kirkland is averaging 8.9 points per game and Conroy is posting 5.5 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 Saints
D'Youville earned a 74-68 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday. The Saints were picked ninth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 2-26 overall and 1-17 in ECC play. D'Youville has already surpassed their overall win total and ECC win total from last year. D'Youville is not eligible for the ECC Tournament as they are making the transition from Division III to Division II. The Saints are led by reigning ECC Player of the Week graduate student Willie Kondrat who averages a team-high 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Luke Theisen is second on the team with 11.8 points per game and leads the team with 1.4 made threes per game. Freshman Renard Fontes Jules is third on the team with 10.1 points per game and dishes out a team-high 3.2 assists per game.
Scouting the Wildcats
Daemen earned an 88-65 win over Roberts Wesleyan on February 8th. The Wildcats will host St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday before hosting Mercy on Sunday. Daemen was picked first in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 20-9 overall and 16-2 in ECC play last season. The Wildcats have won at least 19 games in every full season since joining the ECC in 2013. Daemen is ranked ninth in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll. Daemen is led by senior Nick MacDonald who averages 12.4 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game. One-time ECC Player of the Week and two-time Defensive Player of the Week senior Joey Atkins averages 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Junior Dylan Fasoyiro leads the team with 12.6 points per game and one-time ECC Player of the Week junior Andrew Mason posts 10.7 points per game on 2.8 made threes per game.
Next Game
The Mavericks next game is on Wednesday, February 22nd when they host Molloy at 7 p.m.
