Mitchell Opens Basketball Season

Mitchell College's men's basketball season got off to a nailbiting start on Tuesday as the Mariners defeated City College of New York by only one point. The Mariners' women's basketball team lost their opener, falling to Albertus Magnus College. The following information was provided by David Longolucco, sports information director at Mitchell College:

Men's Basketball: Mitchell 60, CCNY 59

The Mitchell College men’s basketball team opened the 2011-12 season with a dramatic 60-59 victory over The City College of New York on Tuesday night at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Sophomore Alex Del Rio (New Britain, Conn./Plainville) put the Mariners ahead with a floater off the glass with eight seconds to play. CCNY had one final look just before the buzzer, but a fade-away baseline jumper by Hector Hernandez (Bronx, N.Y./Blessed Sacrament) was off the mark. Freshman Joshua Ford (Jersey City, N.J./Saint Anthony) grabbed the rebound to clinch the win for the Mariners (1-0 overall).

Senior Paul Jefferson (Waterbury, Conn./Waterbury Arts Magnet School) scored 11 of his team-high 14 points in the second half to pace Mitchell. Del Rio also finished in double figures with 13 points and added seven rebounds. Hernandez was one of four CCNY players to finish with 10 points and added six rebounds.

The lead changed hands five times over the final 2:39 of the contest. The Mariners took a 58-56 lead on a three-pointer by Jefferson with 56 ticks left on the clock, but the Beavers went back ahead with 23 seconds remaining on a lay-up by Israel Vickers (Queens, N.Y./Campus Magnet). After CCNY called a timeout, Mitchell set up the final play and ran Del Rio off a high screen at the top of the key. He turned the corner against his defender and dropped a runner off the window for the go-ahead bucket.

Mitchell shot 39 percent for the game but missed 19 of its first 20 three-point attempts before finishing 4-for-25 from long range. The Mariners, who led 27-26 at the half, overcame 21 turnovers and held a 44-39 edge on the glass. Ford was solid in his collegiate debut, finishing with eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

CCNY (0-1 overall) shot 36 percent from the floor and 23 percent from downtown. Vickers, Brandon Reeves (New York, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) and Gabriel McFarlane (Jamaica, N.Y./Christ the King) each contributed 10 points while Derell Williams (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx Leadership Academy) chipped in with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Mitchell will next host St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn) on Friday, November 18 at 6 p.m. CCNY returns to action at home against Yeshiva University on Thursday, November 17 at 8 p.m.

Women's Basketball: Albertus Magnus 74, Mitchell 51

Lindsay Karle (Wallingford, Conn.) scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Albertus Magnus women’s basketball team opened the 2011-12 season with a convincing 74-51 win over Mitchell College on Tuesday night.

With the victory, the Falcons move to 1-0 on the year, while first-year head coach Steve Schuler recorded his first win at the helm of the Albertus Magnus women’s basketball program.

In tonight’s contest there was one tied score and four lead changes in the first 11 minutes of play before the Falcons took control of the game in a dominating fashion.

Mitchell’s largest lead of the night was three points as Suzie Barbosa hit a layup with 9:37 left in the first half to make the score 24-21. The Falcons bounced back immediately, finishing out the first frame with a 29-0 run to take a 50-24 lead into the break.

During the impressive run, Lianna Carrero (Hamden, Conn.) scored 13 of her 17 total points in the contest. Senior Bianca Brown (West Haven, Conn.) finished the night with 14 points, while scoring 10 of those points during the final 9:28 of the first half as well.

Mitchell shot 0-for-13 from the floor during the Albertus run in the final 10 minutes of the frame, while eight of those attempts were from behind the arc.

Albertus finished the night shooting 40-percent from the floor, while shooting 20-for-44 in the first 20 minutes of play. The Falcons recorded 50 points in the paint and earned 25 second-chance points as well.

Senior Sarah Boudreau (Pascoag, R.I.) added 12 rebounds and five points for the Falcons, while Brown tallied seven rebounds, including six on the defensive end. Lindsey Raynor (Branford, Conn.) and Shannon Brackeen (New Haven, Conn.) both contributed with eight rebounds apiece as the Falcons outrebounded the Mariners 66-40 on the night.

Mitchell’s leading scorer was Sonja Woods with 13 points, while Sheanna James added 11 points and six rebounds.

The Falcons will return to action on Thursday, Nov. 17 as they host Wheelock for a non-conference match-up. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.