DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 13, 2025) – The Mercy University men's basketball team plays at ECC foe University of the District of Columbia on Saturday, February 15th at 3:15 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, February 15th 3:15 p.m.
Records: Mercy (6-15, 5-7 ECC), Dist. Columbia (4-16, 2-10 ECC)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Last Meeting vs. Dist. Columbia
Mercy earned a 71-70 win over UDC on January 11, 2025.
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 79-77 win at Staten Island on Wednesday. Mercy was led by sophomore Shedrach Makanjuola who scored the game-winning basket at the buzzer and by freshman Ethan Robertson and junior TJ Holloway who combined for 53 points. Mercy has four more wins than all of last year and started 2-0 in ECC play for the first time ever. The Mavericks have their most ECC wins in a season since the 2021-22 season. The Mavericks have been led by sophomore Shedrach Makanjuola who is averaging 11.0 points per game on 51.7 percent shooting with 5.8 rebounds per game. Senior Taj Chiles is averaging 7.1 points per game and leads the team with an ECC-best 5.9 assists per game and freshman Nathan Robertson is netting 16.1 points per game to go with 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Junior TJ Holloway is averaging 12.2 points per game with 4.1 rebounds per game and freshman Ethan Robertson is averaging a team-high 16.4 points per game and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore Derek Long and senior Max Mitchell are averaging 7.6 and 5.2 points per game, respectively. Nathan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week for the fifth time on Monday and Ethan Robertson was tabbed to the Honor Roll. 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 on January 20th 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 on January 20th. Ethan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time on January 27th and Nathan Robertson was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Nathan Robertson was named ECC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time last week and Chiles and Makanjuola were tabbed to the Honor Roll. Mercy is 10-16 all-time against UDC and is looking to sweep the season series with the Firebirds for the first time since the 2015-16 season. With a win, Mercy would have their most overall wins since the 2018-19 season.
Scouting the Firebirds
UDC is coming off a 92-71 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday for their fifth straight loss. The Firebirds were picked fifth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 10-16 last season. UDC is led by Khyrie Staten who is averaging a team-high 13.7 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting with 3.7 rebounds per game. Tevin Curtis is second with 12.3 points per game and leads the team with 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Greg Williams is third with 7.9 points per game and has a team-high 32 three-pointers. Three-time ECC Rookie of the Week Gene Anderson averages a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game and averages 5.5 points per game on 53.0 percent shooting.
Next Game
Mercy plays at Queens on Wednesday, February 19th at 5 p.m.
