OSWEGO, NY- They began the game strong and finished just as strong, but the Medaille Mavericks didn't have enough to beat the Eastern Connecticut Warriors, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's first round (66-51).

Leading the Mavericks in the game was freshman guard Jammal Coleman who finished with (12) points and (4) rebounds. Also contributing for the Mavericks in the game was Sean Bellomo who totaled (8) points along with (4) rebounds and David Shuey who finished the the game with (7) points.

Throughout the early part of the first half, the game stayed very close with no team having a lead of more than four points. After the midway part of the opening stanza, the Mavericks jumped out to a (14-9) lead following a (6-0) run that included a 3-pointer by Alex Baron. The Warriors quickly responded with an (8-0) run of their own to give grab a (17-14) lead. Heading into halftime, after a layup by Bellomo to cut the lead to (24-20), the Warriors went on another spurt, this time a (10-4) run, giving them a (31-24) halftime lead.

The Mavericks would trade baskets with the Warriors back and forth throughout the first part of the second half, before Coleman would hit two free throws and cut the Warrior lead to seven. From there, the Warriors wouldn't let Medaille back in it, going on a (8-2) run following the free throws, which included two three pointers.

Following that run, Medaille wasn't able to put together enough offense to chip into the lead, but they never stopped trying.

The size of the Warriors may have played a factor in the game, but the Mavs weren't able to knock down shots with the same consistency they had during most of the year. Throughout the season, the Mavericks shot (48.7%) from the field. Today, the Mavs finished shooting (16 of 43) good for (37.2%). Additionally, from the 3-point line, the Mavericks finished today just (3 for 11) from behind the arc good for a (27.3%). Throughout the year, the Mavericks averaged a (39.6%) from long range.

Another area of concern in this game was free throw shooting. Overall, the Mavericks shot (16 of 26) from the charity stripe good a for (61.5%). Throughout the season, the Mavericks averaged (74.0%) from the free throw line.

On the glass, the Mavericks would be beaten as well. The Warriors grabbed (31) rebounds including nine on the offensive glass while the Mavericks only finished with (26) total and four offensively. That led to many second chance points for the Warriors which was a big difference in the game as well.

While this was the final game for Maverick seniors Phil Maiarana, Angel Flores, Steve Bryant and David Shuey, the Mavericks should look back on this season and feel very proud of what they accomplished. Their (25) wins was a program record and coach Mike MacDonald notched his 100th win as Mavericks head coach.

The Mavericks finished their season (25-3) and made their third NCAA Tournament appearance. In what was another very successful year for the program.

SEASON STATS