NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team knocked off Albertus Magnus 77-74 on Tuesday evening in an intense non-conference showdown at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
The Mariners rallied from a seven-point deficit with just eight minutes remaining to win their fifth consecutive game and improve to 5-1 on the season heading into the brief break for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Senior Alfonzo Stokes (Bloomfield, Conn.) led Mitchell with a team-best 21 points, the third game this season the senior has scored 20 or more. Stokes added three rebounds and four assists, while Jalen Benson (New London, Conn.) added 19 points and three steals, and Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.) also registered double-figures scoring, finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Falcons jumped out on top early, building a 10-point lead as the midway point of the first half approached. The Mariners responded with an 11-2 run to close the gap, and took their first lead with 2:42 to go before intermission on a layup by Zirlis. Mitchell would hang onto their slim advantage and carry a 43-40 lead into the locker room.
A basket by Justice Washington tied the game at 49-49 three and a half minutes into the second half, and the Falcons were able to build their lead back to eight on a layup by Terry Dawkins with 12:27 remaining.
Mitchell again clawed back but were unable to regain the lead, as a three ball by Davon Warner made it 69-62 with just 8:06 left. A three-point play by Stokes trimmed the deficit to four, then two big free throws by Benson made it a one possession game with 4:16 on the clock. Stokes would then make two big free throws of his own, before Zirlis sank a layup to give the home team the lead, one which they gave right back on a Dawkins jump shot with just under 90 seconds remaining.
The Mariners would take the lead for good on a layup by Benson in the final minute, before Stokes again went 2-2 from the stripe to make the score 77-74, where it would stand.
Dawkins paced the Falcons, posting a double-double with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds. Justice Washington also tallied a double-double, scoring 11 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking five shots. Warner was the only other Albertus player to reach double-figures, finishing with 11 points.
Both teams finished with fairly even shooting numbers from the floor (42.3% for Mitchell, 43.5% for Albertus), however the Falcons were just 5-20 from long range, while the Mariners played it much closer, going just 2-4 from deep. Mitchell excelled at the free throw line, shooting 83.8%, compared to Albertus, who registered a 62.5% clip from the stripe. Mitchell also won the turnover battle 19-15 and dished out 13 assists as a team, to just eight for the visitors.
The Mariners (5-1) will be off until Tuesday, November 29, when they travel to face Rhode Island College. The Falcons (0-3) will also return to the court on Tuesday, November 29, playing in New Hampshire against Keene State.