DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 6, 2024) – The Mercy University men's basketball team hosts ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan University on Friday, February 9th at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Friday, February 9th 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (1-19, 0-10 ECC), Roberts Wesleyan (7-9, 4-4 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Roberts Wesleyan
Mercy dropped an 89-83 decision at Roberts Wesleyan on January 12, 2024.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 79-66 loss to Molloy on Saturday for their ninth straight loss. The Mavericks were led by senior Alex May who had a team-high 21 points and nine rebounds and by sophomore Sean Conroy who netted 13 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 15.5 points and an East Region-best 10.3 rebounds per game on a team-best 52.5 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, January 22nd and February 5th and is second on the team with 14.9 points per game and averages 5.1 rebounds per game. The senior recorded his first career double-double at Queens on January 31st. Kirkland is fourth on the team with 9.1 points per game and is making a team-high 2.7 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 7.0 points per game and Turner is netting 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Chiles was named to the ECC Honor Roll on January 8th and January 29th and is posting 12.3 points per game and a team-high 4.1 assists per game. The junior is averaging 19.8 points and 6.0 assists per game over the last four games. Kone has recorded 14.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game over his last three games. Mercy is 5-16 all-time against Roberts Wesleyan, having dropped the last six meetings. The Mavericks last beat the Redhawks on December 15, 2019.
Scouting the Redhawks
Roberts Wesleyan is coming off a 77-65 loss at UDC on Saturday. The Redhawks were picked seventh in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 10-16 last season. Roberts Wesleyan ranks third in the ECC with 81.2 points per game. The Redhawks are led by Malik Brooks who ranks third in the ECC with 18.0 points per game on 50.2 percent shooting with 5.4 rebounds per game. Kevin Constant nets 15.1 points per game and a team-high 2.3 steals per game and Marlon Pratt Jr. pours in 10.1 points per game. Pratt Jr. dishes out a team-high 2.6 assists per game and Isaiah Elmore averages a team-high 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
Next Game
Mercy plays at D'Youville on Friday, February 16th at 8 p.m.
