DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Jan. 7, 2025) – The Mercy University men's basketball team hosts ECC foe College of Staten Island on Wednesday, January 8th at 7 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 8th 7 p.m.
Records: Mercy (3-9, 2-1 ECC), Staten Island (6-9, 2-1 ECC)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Staten Island
Staten Island earned a 96-81 win over Mercy on January 24, 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 96-74 loss against Southern Connecticut State on December 21st. Mercy has surpassed their overall and ECC win totals from 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 10.7 points per game on 52.0 percent shooting with 5.1 rebounds per game. Senior Taj Chiles is averaging 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and a team-high 5.0 assists per game and freshman Nathan Robertson is netting a team-high 16.8 points per game to go with 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Junior TJ Holloway is averaging 12.4 points per game with 4.9 rebounds per game and freshman Ethan Robertson is averaging 15.5 points per game and a team-high 7.1 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. 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. Mercy is 2-4 in their last six meetings against Staten Island and have lost the last three meetings. The Mavericks last beat the Dolphins on November 30, 2022. Mercy looks to start 3-1 in ECC play for the first time since 1997.
Scouting the Dolphins
Staten Island is coming off a 99-75 win at Wilmington on Saturday. The Dolphins were picked third in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 19-10 last season. Staten Island is led by ECC Preseason Player of the Year and three-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week Messiah Mallory who is averaging a team-high 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. JJ Chestnut is second on the team with 11.6 points per game and one-time ECC Player of the Week Aaron Goldstein is third with 11.3 points per game and averages a team-high 3.3 assists per game.
Next Game
Mercy hosts District of Columbia on Saturday, January 11th at 2 p.m.
