DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Dec. 2, 2024) – The Mercy University men's basketball team hosts Chestnut Hill College on Tuesday, December 3rd at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 3rd 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (0-4), Chestnut Hill (2-4)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Chestnut Hill
Chestnut Hill earned a 76-64 win over Mercy on January 16, 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 94-80 loss at Bloomfield on Tuesday. Mercy was led by freshman Nathan Robertson and sophomore Shedrach Makanjuola who both had a team-high 14 points. The Mavericks have been led by Makanjuola who is averaging a team-high 15.0 points per game on 62.5 percent shooting with 5.0 rebounds per game. Senior Taj Chiles is averaging 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and freshman Nathan Robertson is netting 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Junior TJ Holloway is averaging 14.5 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game and senior Max Mitchell is producing 6.8 points per game. Freshman Ethan Robertson is averaging 7.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Makanjuola and Chiles were named to the ECC Honor Roll on November 11th and Holloway was tabbed to the Honor Roll on November 18th. Mercy looks to defeat Chestnut Hill for the first time since 2012. The Mavericks have dropped four straight meetings to the Griffins.
Scouting the Griffins
Chestnut Hill is coming off a 74-52 loss at West Chester on Wednesday. The Griffins were picked third in the CACC South Division Preseason Poll after going 9-20 last season, qualifying for the CACC Championship. Chestnut Hill's two wins have come against Queens and Shippensburg. The Griffins have been led by IV Pettit who is averaging a team-high 14.8 points per game and 2.7 assists per game. Noah Charles, Alejandro Redondo Cybak and Omari Salvi are tied for second on the team with 9.3 points per game. Redondo Cybak and Neal Hill lead the team with 7.8 rebounds per game and Landon Shivers averages a team-high 1.7 blocks per game.
Next Game
Mercy hosts Roberts Wesleyan on Friday, December 6th at 8 p.m.
