DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Nov. 25, 2024) – The Mercy University men's basketball team plays at Bloomfield College on Tuesday, November 26th at 7:30 p.m.

Who, When and Where

Date/Time: Tuesday, November 26th 7:30 p.m.

Records: Mercy (0-3), Bloomfield (3-2)

Location: Bloomfield, N.J.

Last Meeting vs. Bloomfield

Bloomfield earned a 97-82 win over Mercy on January 10, 2024.

Scouting the Mavericks

Mercy was selected ninth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 2-24 overall and 1-15 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 third-year Head Coach Chris Watts is senior Taj Chiles who averaged 12.2 points, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season. He led the team in assists and steals per game and was third in points per game. Chiles ranked fourth in the ECC in assists per game last season. Also returning for the Mavericks is senior Max Mitchell who averaged 3.9 points per game in seven games last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Junior Jamal Jacobs returns after appearing in all 26 games last season and junior Thomas Mandell and sophomores Zein Wahdan, Derek Long and Aston Sannasi also return after playing in a combined 188 minutes last season. Leading the newcomers for Watts is junior TJ Holloway who transfers from Division I Central Connecticut State University. Holloway appeared in 22 games averaging 1.2 points per game in two seasons. Junior Camryn Reyes joins the Mavericks from Fort Scott Community College where he led the NJCAA in three-point percentage. Sophomore Shedrach Makanjuola joins Mercy from Quincy College where he averaged 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Watts also brings in a strong freshman class led by James Connolly, Nathan Robertson and Ethan Robertson.

The Mavericks are coming off a 75-61 loss to Goldey-Beacom on November 16th. Mercy was led by junior TJ Holloway who had a game-high 23 points. Mercy opened their 2024-25 season with losses to Bridgeport and Post on November 8th and 10th. The Mavericks have been led by Makanjuola who is averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game on 61.3 percent shooting with 5.0 rebounds per game. Chiles is averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and freshman Nathan Robertson is netting 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Holloway is averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and senior Max Mitchell is producing 8.0 points per game. Makanjuola and Chiles were named to the ECC Honor Roll on November 11th and Holloway was tabbed to the Honor Roll last week. Mercy looks to defeat Bloomfield for the first time since 2007.

Scouting the Bears

Bloomfield is coming off an 82-70 win over UDC on Saturday. The Bears were picked third in the CACC North Division Preseason Poll after going 22-10 last season, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Bloomfield is led by Starrell Hearns who averages a team-high 18.4 points per game and 1.8 steals per game. Deavion Ellis is second on the team with 16.8 points per game and Kareeme Davis is third with 11.4 points per game. Marcus Bucknall nets 9.2 points per game and Edward Ngene posts 6.8 points per game. Ngene also averages a team-high 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

Next Game

Mercy hosts Chestnut Hill on Tuesday, December 3rd at 7 p.m.