DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 23, 2025) – The Mercy University men's basketball team hosts ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday, January 25th at 2 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, January 25th 2 p.m.
Records: Mercy (5-11, 4-3 ECC), St. Thomas Aquinas (13-6, 5-2 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. STAC
Mercy dropped a 120-86 decision to STAC on March 2, 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 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 an 83-81 loss at Molloy on Saturday. Mercy was led by junior TJ Holloway and freshman Nathan Robertson who both had a team-high 19 points. Mercy has three more wins than all of last year and started 2-0 in ECC play for the first time ever. The Mavericks have been led by sophomore Shedrach Makanjuola who is averaging 10.9 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting with 6.1 rebounds per game. Makanjuola has recorded a double-double in two of his last three games. Senior Taj Chiles is averaging 7.4 points per game and a team-high-tying 4.7 assists per game and freshman Nathan Robertson is netting a team-high 16.2 points per game to go with 5.0 rebounds and a team-high-tying 4.7 assists per game. Junior TJ Holloway is averaging 12.0 points per game with 4.4 rebounds per game and freshman Ethan Robertson is averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Derek Long and senior Max Mitchell are averaging 7.6 and 6.9 points per game, respectively. Makanjuola and Chiles were named to the ECC Honor Roll on November 11th and Holloway was tabbed to the Honor Roll on November 18th. Nathan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week on December 2nd and Makanjuola was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Ethan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week on December 9th and Nathan Robertson was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Ethan Robertson was named ECC Player and Rookie of the Week on December 16th and Nathan Robertson was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Nathan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week on December 23rd and Ethan Robertson was named to the Honor Roll. Ethan Robertson has been named MBWA Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention twice. Ethan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week for the third time on Monday and was tabbed to MBWA Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention on Tuesday. Nathan Robertson was named to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. Makanjuola was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday and Nathan Robertson was tabbed Rookie of the Week for the third time. Long was named to the ECC Honor Roll for the first time. Mercy is 2-39 in their last 41 meetings against STAC and have dropped the last 23 meetings against the Spartans. The Mavericks look to beat the Spartans for the first time since February 13, 2013. Mercy looks to defeat STAC at home for the first time since January 21, 2012.
Scouting the Spartans
STAC is coming off an 80-59 win over Queens on Saturday for their fifth straight win. The Spartans were picked in a tie for first in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 25-6 last season. STAC is the five-time defending ECC Champion and have won eight of the last nine ECC titles. The Spartans are looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight year. STAC is ranked fourth in the latest D2CSC East Region Top 10 Poll and is receiving votes nationally in the D2CSC Top 25 Poll. The Spartans are led by one-time ECC Player of the Week and one-time Defensive Player of the Week Hartnel Haye who is averaging a team-high 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Luis Risquez is second on the team with 11.8 points per game and shoots a team-best 56.1 percent from the floor. One-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week Shaun Arnold is third with 11.2 points per game and is second with 6.4 rebounds per game. Troy'reon Ramos and Derrick James average 10.4 and 10.1 points per game, respectively. James dishes out a team-high 5.0 assists per game.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Roberts Wesleyan on Friday, January 31st at 8 p.m.
