SOPHOMORE DARREN MARTINEZ NETS SEASON HIGH 22 IN LOSS TO ALBERTUS MAGNUS

Due to a shaky first half, the Mount Ida College Men’s Basketball team dropped a tough loss to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foe Albertus Magnus College 73-67 on Saturday afternoon in New Haven, CT. The Mustangs would fall to 7-16 overall, 4-12 in the conference, while the Falcons improved to 2-20, 2-14 in league play.

The hosts came out firing stretching the lead to as many as 16 in the first half up 22-6 with eight minutes to go before the break with the Mustangs unable to get anything going. MIC woke up out of their funk around the 6:55 mark off a jumper by JuniorGino Dipietro (Westbrook, ME/Westbrook) while his team cut the Falcon advantage to seven at 26-19 with 3:25 to go. AMC would eventually pull ahead before the half leading 34-20 heading into the locker room.

The Falcons would make it a game high 19 point margin in the beginning of the second half at the 17:34 mark up 41-22. The Mustangs would chip away at the lead for the next eight minutes cutting the home team advantage to eight on a jumper by Senior Jimmy Driscoll (Dennis, MA/Dennis-Yarmouth Regional) making it 51-43 with 9:32 remaining. MIC would come within four points with: 44 seconds showing on the clock on a jumper by Sophomore Darren Martinez (Stoughton, MA/Brookline), but they ran out of steam unable to convert the comeback dropping their 16th loss of the season.

The Mustangs were lead by Martinez would had a season high 22 points and 11 boards while Junior center Otis Thompson (Gardner, MA/Gardner) chipped in his sixth double-double of the season scoring 12 and grabbing 12 boards.  Belton would come in with 17 points and three rebounds.

Mount Ida will face GNAC member St. Joseph’s College (ME) this Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. tip-off.