MEN'S BASKETBALL DROPS TOUGH CONFERENCE LOSS TO DANIEL WEBSTER, Junior Matt Bennett Nets 21

Leading at the break, the Mount Ida College Men’s Basketball team could not keep pace with the surging Eagles who shot 77 percent from downtown and took the 83-77 victory this Monday in Newton, Mass. The two teams are now tied in league standings fighting for the last tournament spot in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) with three wins a piece. The Mustangs fall to 5-13 on the season, 3-9 in the GNAC while Daniel Webster improves to 5-13, 3-10 in league play.

It went basket for basket in the opening five and a half minutes with the hosts holding a small edge up 9-9. But it wouldn’t be long until visiting freshman Chris Hanson (Salem, MA/Salem) hit the first of his six three pointers giving his team the 12-9 advantage at the 14:35 mark. The lead would hold true for the Eagles until midway through the first stanza when MIC Junior Gino Dipietro (Westbrook, ME/Westbrook) caromed a lay-up off the glass making it 17-16 in favor of the Mustangs. The score would stretch to as many as eight with six minutes showing on the clock in favor of Mount Ida. Although the visitors would keep it close, the teams would eventually go into halftime with Daniel Webster trailing 33-28.

The Mustangs would win the battle in the first 10 minutes of the second verse bringing the advantage to a game high 12 points with 17:26 remaining. But the war was not over with the Eagles catching fire in the last quarter of the game regaining the lead 55-54 with 10:41 to go. Hanson would be the spark that his team needed hitting three consecutive triples taking the momentum of the contest up 58-54. Both squads exchanged buckets with the visitors maintaining the small advantage, but they would eventually blow it open up 73-51 left in the game. There wasn’t enough time on the clock for the Mustangs to regain the energy for another run ultimately handing them their ninth conference loss.

Mount Ida showcased three players in double figures including Junior Matt Bennett (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) whose second game against the Eagles went for 20 points and 10 rebounds eventually netting 21 with 11 boards. Sophomore Bruce Cary (Standish, ME/Bonny Eagle) and Junior Michael Dunham (Salem, NH/Salem) combined for 30 points and five rebounds.

Daniel Webster saw great performances from Hanson who dropped in 25 shooting 50 percent from three point land and freshman Ahmad Hemingway (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) who tallied 23 points and three assists.

The Mustangs will stay home for a midweek match-up this Wednesday against GNAC number one seed Emmanuel College with tip-off beginning at 7:00 p.m.