DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 25, 2024) – The Mercy University men's basketball team hosts ECC foe University of the District of Columbia on Saturday, January 27th at 2 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, January 27th 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-16, 0-7 ECC), District of Columbia (5-11, 3-4 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. District of Columbia
District of Columbia earned a 76-60 win over Mercy on December 9, 2023.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 96-81 loss at Staten Island on Wednesday for their sixth straight loss. The Mavericks were led by junior Taj Chiles who had a game-high and career-high 23 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. 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, January 8th and January 16th and averages a team-high 16.1 points and an East Region-best 11.0 rebounds per game on a team-best 54.4 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 January 22nd and is second on the team with 14.9 points per game and averages 4.2 rebounds per game. Kirkland is fourth on the team with 9.5 points per game and is making a team-high 2.8 three-pointers per game. The graduate student set a new school record with his 183rd career three-pointer in the game at UDC on December 9th. Conroy averages 6.6 points per game and Turner is netting 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Chiles was named to the ECC Honor Roll on January 8th and is posting 11.1 points per game and a team-high 3.7 assists per game. Mercy is 9-15 all-time against UDC and have dropped the last four meetings to the Firebirds. The Mavericks last beat UDC on January 15, 2022.
Scouting the Firebirds
UDC is coming off an 81-75 loss at St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday for their second straight loss. 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 13.6 points per game and by Hartnel Haye who averages 12.1 points per game and a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game. Vernon Simmons is third on the team with 10.2 points per game and Tevin Curtis leads the Firebirds with 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Micah Campbell averages a team-high 1.7 blocks per game.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Queens on Wednesday, January 31st at 7:30 p.m.
