Jan. 24, 2012

Box Score

NEWTON, Mass. - Mount Ida College senior Keith Jones (Boston, Mass.) sank the game winner in a 61-59 Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory over visiting Emmanuel College on Tuesday evening. The Mustangs led for almost the entire contest, up by as many as 16 points early in the second half until surrendering the lead in the final ticks. This was the third league victory for the Mustangs, who improve to 6-9 overall and a 3-5 mark in the GNAC. The Saints fall to 7-10 on the season and 6-4 in league play.

The Mustangs were led by junior center Jeffrey McNair (Brockton, Mass.), netting 14 points and 12 boards good for a double-double on 7-12 shooting from the floor. Jones would add 15 points followed by 12 points and six assists from senior guard Isiah Benjamin (Windsor, Conn.). Senior captain Travis Hillery (Tyngsboro, Mass.) chipped in 10 points and seven caroms respectively.

Emmanuel saw another double-double effort from sophomore forward Theo Robinson (Springfield, Mass.), tallying 11 points and 13 boards. Junior guard Michael Mailhot (Norwich, Conn.) notched a game-high 18 points, including going 4-9 from downtown. Junior swingman Xavier Everson (Rochester, N.Y.) grabbed 10 boards and hit for 8 points in the effort.

The opening stanza was controlled defensively by the Mustangs holding the Saints to only 18 first half points heading into the break ahead by 13 (31-18). The visitors shot a measly 7-28 from the floor with Mount Ida not too far behind at 14-38.

No more than a basket separated the action to start the contest until the Mustangs went on a huge 12-2 run to jump ahead by 14 points (25-11) capped on a McNair lay-in with two minutes to go in the stanza. The run was fueled by solid defense by the hosts.

Mount Ida eventually closed out the final minutes of the first half up 31-18, finalized on a Hillery jumper heading into the locker room.

The Mustangs would pull ahead by as many as 16 points at 36-20 to start the second half, as a Cabral nailed a trifecta and McNair laid one in. The visitors cut the Mount Ida lead to four points powering through a 12-0 run immediately following, capped on a three point play the hard way by Everson. The Saints trailed 36-32 with 15 minutes to go in the contest.

Mount Ida re-inflated their advantage to nine points (44-35) with 10:01 on the clock after a Jones three pointer. Emmanuel chipped away, cutting the Mustang lead down to a deuce (47-45) with less than six minutes remaining capped by a Mailhot jumper.

The hosts kept the visitors within arm's length through the next four and a half minutes up eight points (59-51). With just 1:31 left in the game, the Saints erased the Mount Ida advantage very quickly with back-to-back three pointers by Mailhot. A Benjamin foul put Everson on the line and the junior sank both freebies to knot the game at 59-all with 19 seconds left in regulation.

The Mustangs' first attempt at the win rimmed out, but a key offensive rebound gave the hosts one final chance. The ensuing pass by Cabral was fired to Jones at the top of the key and he drained the jumper inside the circle for the 61-59 victory with time expiring.

Mount Ida will travel to Standish, Maine to take on St. Joseph's College (ME) Thursday evening with tip-off at 7:00 p.m. The Saints will play the same day against visiting Albertus Magnus College with game time slated for 7:00 p.m.

- Courtesy of Mount Ida College Sports Information