DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 8, 2024) – The Mercy University men's basketball team hosts Bloomfield College on Wednesday, January 10th at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 10th 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-10), Bloomfield (8-6)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Bloomfield
Mercy earned an 87-80 win over Bloomfield on January 4, 2007.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off an 81-65 win over Cheyney on Wednesday. The Mavericks were led by senior Jayden Dewaal who had a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds and by junior Taj Chiles who had 17 points and a game-high 10 assists. 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 17.2 points and an East Region-best 11.0 rebounds per game on a team-best 56.6 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 13.6 points per game and averages 4.1 rebounds per game. Kirkland is fourth on the team with 8.2 points per game and is making a team-high 2.5 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 6.1 points per game and Kone is netting 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Chiles is posting 9.9 points per game and a team-high 3.2 assists per game.
Scouting the Bears
Bloomfield is coming off an 88-83 loss to Goldey-Beacom on Saturday. The Bears were picked fifth in the CACC North Division Preseason Poll after going 18-11 last season, falling in the CACC Tournament Semifinals. Bloomfield is led by Al Fatir Connor who is averaging a team-high 16.1 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting with a team-high 3.2 assists per game. Deavion Ellis is second on the team with 15.6 points per game on a team-high 2.2 threes per game and Starrell Hearns is third with 11.5 points per game. Edward Ngene averages a team-high 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game on a team-best 63.3 percent shooting.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Roberts Wesleyan on Friday, January 12th at 8 p.m.
