NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team dropped a 78-64 decision to Newbury College on Saturday afternoon in a NECC showdown at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Peterson Bernard finished with game highs of 28 points and nine rebounds to pace the Nighthawks (5-11 overall, 4-3 NECC). Bernard shot 11-for-16 from the floor and grabbed six of his boards on the offensive glass. John Rowley, Jr. added 22 points and seven rebounds for Newbury, which shot 45 percent from the field in the contest.

Junior Paul Jefferson netted a career-high 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc to lead the Mariners (1-15 overall, 0-7 NECC). Freshman Chris Thomas chipped in with 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks while junior Julio Contreras added 11 points.

The first half featured seven ties and seven lead changes, and the score was even with just under five minutes to play before Newbury pulled ahead for good. The Nighthawks used a 9-0 run to jump out to a 30-21 lead with 2:59 to go in the half, with Bernard accounting for two buckets and five points during the stretch.

Mitchell cut into the deficit in the final minutes behind a tip-in dunk from senior Tyler Blier, a three-pointer by Jefferson and a pair of free throws from Contreras. The Mariners had the margin down to four, but a lay-up by Bernard in the closing moments gave the Nighthawks a 34-28 edge heading into the break.

Newbury opened the second half with seven straight points to pump its lead to 13. Bernard scored on a lay-in on the opening possession, and Chris Torres followed with a lay-up and a three-pointer to make it 41-28. Mitchell failed to score on its first four possessions of the half and turned the ball over twice during the span.

The Mariners pulled to within 45-37 with 15:31 remaining but would get no closer. The Nighthawks scored the next six points and never again let their lead dip below double digits. Bernard, who also finished with three blocks and a pair of steals, scored 15 of his 28 points in the second half.

Newbury held a 48-26 edge in scoring in the paint and turned 23 Mitchell turnovers into 20 points. The Mariners shot 42 percent overall and a season-high 53 percent (8-for-15) from long range. Jefferson's seven three-pointers were the most by a Mitchell player this season.

Mitchell returns to action at Lesley University on Thursday, January 27 at 8 p.m.