Mavericks Snap 43-Game Losing Streak With 89-88 ECC Victory Over NYIT
January 11, 2009
Mavericks Snap 43-Game Losing Streak With 89-88 ECC Victory Over NYIT
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Hasaan
Powell.Photo Credit: Vinny Duscovic |
Mercy College men end longest current losing streak in Division II.
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – The Mercy College men’s basketball team celebrated more than just the new decade at Mercy College Gym on Monday night. With an 89-88 East Coast Conference victory over the NYIT Bears, the Mavericks ended their 43-game losing streak, which was the longest current losing streak in Division II. The Mavericks were led by junior-college transfer Hasaan Powell (Bridgeport, Conn./Bridgeport), who tallied a career-best 27 points, shooting 12-for-22 from the field, 1-for-1 from the 3-point arc and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Powell added seven rebounds, three assists and four steals in 36 minutes.
With the win, the Mavericks advance to 1-13 overall and 1-6 in the ECC. The Bears fall to 6-7 on the season and even their league record at 3-3.
Powell’s efforts were assisted by rookie Bryan Van Cott (Oyster Bay, N.Y./Oyster Bay) who had a season-best 21 points. Van Cott shot 7-for-10 from the floor, 3-for-4 from beyond the 3-point arc and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Junior Jimmy Gunville (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) helped the Mavericks to a season-best 11-for-18 from the 3-point arc, shooting 4-for-7 from downtown and added 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
The Mavericks’ 43-game losing streak was just three defeats short of the longest streak in Division II history. The record for consecutive defeats in Division II school was set at 46-games and is held by Olivet, whose streak went from Feb. 21, 1959 to Dec. 4, 1961 and by Southwest Minnesota State from Dec. 11, 1971 to Dec. 1, 1973. The last time the Mavericks won a game was against Molloy College on Feb. 16, 2008. The Mercy College men defeated the Lions, 80-64, in Dobbs Ferry High School Gym.
The Bears took a five-point lead, 75-70 after a jumper and one from Jerrell Walker (Stockton, Calif./Delta CC) at 7:04 to give NYIT their second-largest lead of the half. A 3-ball and jumper from Van Cott tied the game at 75 with 5:12 remaining. Another layup from Walker at 4:29 gave the Bears the 77-75 lead at 4:29; but a jumper by Powell at 3:36 tied the game for the sixth and final time at 77-77.
NYIT came back again with a layup from Dominic Scurry (Ozone Park, N.Y./Titlon Prep) to take a 79-77 lead at 2:38, but another 3-ball from Van Cott gave the Mavericks the one-point lead and the momentum, forcing the Bears to take a time out. The Bears answered back off a play set up for Walker with a layup in the paint as the lead shifted back in their favor, 81-80.
Hot from the 3-point arc, the Mavericks’ junior Manny Garcia (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) scored on the play set up by Powell to take a two-point lead 83-81 with just under two minutes remaining. With the momentum once again shifted in the Mavericks’ favor, the Bears called their second time out in as many minutes, but were frozen on the inbound play and missed a three pointer and two free throws as time dwindled down to 1:12.
With the pressure building, Powell lost the ball on the inbound play then grabbed the ball back from Scurry to score on a fastbreak layup to give the Mavericks the 85-81 lead with 19 seconds remaining. NYIT’s Anthony Clarke (Cambria Heights, N.Y./Broward CC) scored in the paint for the Bears making it a 2-point game, 85-83, with 12 seconds on the game clock.
The fouling game began in the final nine seconds as the Bears attempted to get the possession and score in the waning seconds of play, but the Mavericks’ went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the last moments of play to end the Mavericks’ two-year draught. A 3-ball from Daniel Berg (Osteras, Norway/Norges Toppidrettsgymnas) at the buzzer gave the Bears’ their final three points to end the game 89-88 in favor of the Mavericks.
NYIT was led by Berg with 18 points. Clarke was second in scoring with 16 points. The Bears lead 48-45 at the half.
Free throws made the difference in the game as the Mavericks went a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.
The Mavericks will look to make it two-in-a-row as they host ECC-foe Dowling at Mercy College Gym on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m., following the women at 5 p.m.
