Sports

Wheelock Prevails In Two Basketball Games

Mitchell College teams lose two in Saturday games

A second half push by the Mitchell College men's basketball team wasn't enough to take the lead in a Saturday game against Wheelock College, while a strong second half by Wheelock in the women's game helped the Wildcats earn a victory in that competition as well. The following information was provided by David Longolucco, sports information director at Mitchell College:

Men's Basketball: Wheelock 70, Mitchell 63

The Mitchell College men’s basketball team made a charge in the second half but came up short in its comeback bid against Wheelock College, falling 70-63 Saturday afternoon in New England Collegiate Conference action at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

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Bashir Hudson (Jamaica Plain, Mass./Weston) recorded his eighth double-double of the season to pace the Wildcats (10-8 overall, 8-2 NECC) to their sixth straight win. Hudson finished with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and added 13 rebounds and three blocks, one of three Wheelock players to score in double digits. Sophomore Joshua Ford (Jersey City, N.J./Saint Anthony) led Mitchell (5-12 overall, 3-8 NECC) with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

After taking the lead in the early stages of the contest, the Mariners stayed in front until a basket by Daniel Higgins (Wakefield, Mass./Austin Prep) gave the Wildcats a 17-16  lead with 8:10 remaining in the first half. Wheelock later closed the stanza with a 10-1 run to lead 35-23 at the break, with Kyle Pierce (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) providing seven points and three buckets during the stretch. Mitchell struggled in the final 3:50 of the half, turning the ball over on six of its final seven possessions.

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Wheelock led the entire second half but had to hold off a strong push from the home team. After a three-pointer by Max Kaim (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cypress Bay) gave the Wildcats a 44-31 lead with 13:25 to play, the Mariners cut into the deficit behind a 13-4 run over the next 6:25. When Ford grabbed a defensive board and fired a full-court pass to senior Alex Vess (Middletown, Conn./Xavier) for an easy lay-up, Mitchell had pulled to within 48-44 with 6:50 to go.

The Mariners had a chance to make it a one-possession game on their next possession, but a miss by Ford was rebounded by Kaim and resulted in fast-break lay-up for Pierce on the other end. Wheelock quickly ripped off eight straight points to push the lead back to double digits and coasted to victory.

Pierce and Kaim both finished in double figures with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Elliot Hernandez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cypress Bay) chipped in with nine points off the bench while Eric Rice (Woburn, Mass./Woburn) added eight points. Wheelock shot 49 percent for the game and played suffocating perimeter defense on the Mariners, holding them to a 3-for-11 effort from beyond the arc.

Ford also had four assists and four steals to go along with his team-leading eighth double-double of the season. Vess finished with 13 points and five rebounds while classmate Enoch Contreras (Boca Raton, Fla./West Boca) added nine points and three assists. Senior Terrance Fisher (Richmond, Va./Richmond Christian School) and freshman Michael Pellegrini (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) each contributed eight points off the bench.

Mitchell will next play at Elms College on Thursday at 8 p.m. Wheelock returns to action at home against Lesley University on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Women's Basketball: Wheelock 61, Mitchell 50

A strong second half fueled Wheelock College to a 61-50 victory over Mitchell College in a New England Collegiate Conference women’s basketball showdown on Saturday afternoon at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Kayla Drescher (Wallingford, Conn./Mark T. Sheehan) and Keneisha Milton (Boston, Mass./Wayland) each posted double-doubles as the Wildcats (2-15, 2-9 NECC) won their second straight game. Drescher finished with a team-high 17 points and added 10 rebounds while Milton recorded 14 points and a game-high 19 boards. Freshman Sheanna James (Waterbury, Conn./Kaynor Tech) led all scorers with 21 points to pace the Mariners (5-11 overall, 4-6 NECC). 

Mitchell led for the majority of the first half and took its biggest lead at 19-11 following a three-pointer by junior Kaylee Cerruto (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) with 9:28 to play. However, it would be more than eight minutes before the Mariners would make their next field goal as the offense suddenly went cold. Wheelock took advantage and reeled off a 12-3 run, taking the lead at 23-22 on a pair of free throws by Jessica Ramsey (Milford, Mass./Hopedale) with 1:19 remaining in the stanza.

After missing 15 straight field goal attempts, the Mariners finally got back on track behind a jumper by James to take back the lead. A bucket by freshman Hannah Smith (Wakefield, R.I./South Kingstown) capped the first-half scoring and left Mitchell with a 26-23 lead at the break. The Mariners shot 26 percent for the half while the Wildcats checked in at 22 percent.

A strong start to the second half was all Wheelock needed to take control. The Wildcats scored 12 straight points to open the stanza and led 35-26 following a pair of free throws by Drescher with 13:42 remaining. Drescher accounted for eight points during the stretch while Milton and Maya Spratling (Dorchester, Mass./Cathedral) each contributed a basket.

Mitchell’s shooting woes continued in the second half. The Mariners missed their first 11 attempts from the floor and didn’t find the scoring column until Cerruto buried a jumper with 13:10 to go.

Wheelock pumped the lead to as many as 15 points in the second half and shot 42 percent for the stanza. Drescher scored 12 of her 17 points over the final 20 minutes to lead the way.

Ramsey also finished in double figures for the Wildcats with 13 points while point guard Kailah Simon (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) had six points, nine rebounds, four assists and five steals. In addition to her double-double, Drescher added four blocks and three assists to her stat line.

James grabbed 11 rebounds to record her third career double-double and also tacked on a season-high seven steals. Cerruto, playing in her first game since December 10, finished with 13 points and three assists.

Mitchell will next host Regis College on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Wheelock returns to action at Bay Path College on Thursday at 8 p.m.


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