DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – The Mercy University Men's Basketball Team opens ECC play at College of Staten Island on Wednesday, December 3rd at 7:30 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Wednesday, December 3rd 7:30 p.m.
Records: Mercy (0-5, 0-0 ECC), Staten Island (4-3, 0-0 ECC)
Location: Staten Island, N.Y.
Last Meeting vs. Staten Island
Mercy earned a 79-77 win at Staten Island on February 12, 2025.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy enters the 2025-26 season picked ninth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 7-18 last season just missing out on qualifying for the ECC Championship. The Mavericks are looking to make the ECC Championship for the first time since 2021 and make it for the first time without every team making it since 2016.
First-year Head Coach Charles Marquardt and the Mavericks return six student-athletes from last year's team and add six newcomers. Leading the returners is senior TJ Holloway who averaged 11.6 points per game last season and led the team with 42 three-pointers. Junior Derek Long also returns after averaging 7.3 points per game a year ago. Senior Thomas Mandell also returns after playing in 12 games last season with 12 points and sophomore James Connolly is back after playing in 23 games last season with 24 points in 6.6 minutes per game. Sophomore Joshua Naklen and junior Christopher Nana also return for the Mavericks. Naklen was a 1,000 point scorer at Bedford Academy and Nana is a transfer from Division I Sacred Heart University. Nana appeared in three games at Sacred Heart as a freshman during the 2023-24 season.
Leading the newcomers for Marquardt is sophomore Kohen Rowbatham who transfers to Mercy from Division I University of New Orleans. Rowbatham played in 28 games last season as a freshman, averaging 7.1 points per game with 37 assists. The guard scored a career-high 28 points against Stephen F. Austin. Also, joining the Mavericks is junior Daniel Boateng who transfers in from Caldwell University. Boateng played in 45 games in two years at Caldwell and averaged 2.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Junior Ashton Pratt joins Mercy from Chesapeake College and Virginia Union University. As a freshman at Virginia Union, Pratt appeared in 16 games and had 18 points. Last season at Chesapeake College, Pratt averaged 10.3 points per game. Junior Jordan Trahan joins Mercy from Odessa College where he averaged 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 30 games. Joining the Mavericks as freshmen are Jeffrey Mulhern and Tyrell Miller. Mulhern was a 2,000 point scorer at Duanesburg High School and Miller averaged 9.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game during his senior year of high school.
Mercy is coming off a 98-92 loss at RV East Stroudsburg on Sunday. The Mavericks were led by sophomore Kohen Rowbatham and junior Jordan Trahan who combined for 56 points. Mercy has been led by Rowbatham who is averaging a team-high 18.8 points per game with 2.8 assists per game. Trahan is second on the team with 15.8 points per game and leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game. Senior TJ Holloway is third on the team with 10.2 points per game and junior Ashton Pratt is fourth with 6.2 points per game. Junior Christopher Nana posts 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 points per game and freshman Tyrell Miller leads the team with 1.4 blocks per game. Rowbatham and Trahan were named to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. Rowbatham was named to the ECC Honor Roll on November 17th. Mercy is 3-5 in their last eight meetings against Staten Island. The Mavericks look to win their ECC opener for the second straight year.
Scouting the Dolphins
Staten Island is coming off an 80-67 win over Georgian Court on Saturday. The Dolphins were picked third in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 12-18 last season, advancing to the ECC Championship Semifinals. Staten Island has been led by Aaron Goldstein who is averaging a team-high 21.4 points per game with 2.7 assists per game. JJ Chestnut is second on the team with 11.3 points per game with a team-high 4.3 assists per game. Mitchell Wiggan also averages 11.3 points per game and Asa Kone nets 9.1 points per game. Kone averages a team-high 8.9 rebounds per game and 1.0 blocks per game.
Next Game
Mercy hosts District of Columbia on Saturday, December 6th at 2 p.m.
