DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 29, 2025) – The Mercy University men's basketball team plays at ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan University on Friday, January 31st at 8 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Friday, January 31st 8 p.m.
Records: Mercy (5-12, 4-4 ECC), Roberts Wesleyan (7-11, 4-4 ECC)
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Roberts Wesleyan
Mercy earned an 84-83 win over Roberts Wesleyan on December 6, 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 a 75-73 loss to RV St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday. Mercy was led by freshman Ethan Robertson who had a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. 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 50.0 percent shooting with 6.2 rebounds per game. Makanjuola has recorded a double-double in two of his last four games. Senior Taj Chiles is averaging 7.2 points per game and is second on the team with 4.8 assists per game and freshman Nathan Robertson is netting a team-high-tying 15.9 points per game to go with 5.0 rebounds and a team-high 4.9 assists per game. Junior TJ Holloway is averaging 12.3 points per game with 4.2 rebounds per game and freshman Ethan Robertson is averaging a team-high-tying 15.9 points per game and a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore Derek Long and senior Max Mitchell are averaging 7.4 and 6.1 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 January 13th and was tabbed MBWA Division II-III Player of the Week Honorable Mention on January 14th. Nathan Robertson was named to the ECC Honor Roll on January 13th. Makanjuola was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week last week 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 last week. Ethan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time on Monday and Nathan Robertson was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Mercy is 6-17 all-time against Roberts Wesleyan and is looking to win at Roberts Wesleyan for the first time. The Mavericks look to sweep the season series with the Redhawks for the first time.
Scouting the Redhawks
Roberts Wesleyan is coming off a 98-75 loss to Daemen on Saturday. The Redhawks were picked fourth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 13-13 last season. Roberts Wesleyan is led by two-time ECC Player of the Week Malik Brooks who is averaging a team-high 22.4 points per game on 53.9 percent shooting with 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Two-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week Arnardo Camacho is third on the team with 10.9 points per game and leads the team with 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Jermaine Taggart II is second on the team with 14.4 points per game and Trey Kleitz has a team-high 40 made threes on the year.
Next Game
Mercy hosts D'Youville on Friday, February 7th at 7 p.m.
