Saturday, February 19, 2011 (Newton, Massachusetts) – Mount Ida College men's basketball junior captain Isiah Benjamin (Windsor, CT/The Masters School) drained seven three pointers, two shy of the College record, on 8-15 shooting, but it wasn't enough with the Mustangs falling to Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) number one seed St. Joseph's College (ME) 80-74 Saturday afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts on Pink Zone and Senior day. Mount Ida ends their regular season with an overall record of 9-16 going 6-12 in conference play while the number one seeded Monks sealed the play-off hopes heading home with an overall record o18-7 standing atop the GNAC at 15-3. The Mustangs will have to wait and see their fate at day's end for a GNAC play-off spot.
The Mustangs came out in the first half ready to play leading by three points following a Benjamin up 5-2.
After the score knotted four times through the first seven minutes of play, the Monks took over the advantage going ahead by a half high seven points (16-9) capped off on a trifecta from senior Tyler Kelley (Saco, ME/Thornton Academy).
Mount Ida mounted a 6-0 run to cut the visiting lead to one (16-15) with seven minutes to go following another three ball from Benjamin.
The Mustangs eventually captured the lead up by two following Benjamin's third trifecta of the half up 23-21 with just under five minutes to go before the break.
Although the Monks went ahead by four (27-23) at the 3:46 mark following a Kelley lay-in, the Mustangs forced a couple of key turnovers in the final minutes. Mount Ida would eventually go into the locker room with a four point advantage after a junior David Gibbs (East Hartford, CT/The Masters School/UMASS-Amherst) lay-in at the buzzer.
Mount Ida came out hot in the second half jumping ahead by seven points (44-37) at the 17 minute mark after a Benjamin lay-in.
The Mustangs held their small advantage for the next couple of ticks (14:42) keeping their seven point lead after another Benjamin trifecta up 49-42.
The visitors countered mounting a 7-2 run after a Kelley shot from behind the arc tying the score for the seventh time during the contest (51-51).
It went back-and-forth for the next four minutes with no more than two baskets separating the squads. The visitors ultimately took a six point lead (66-60) with 7:20 remaining in the game after a junior Chris Petzy (Kensington, NH/Exeter) lay-in.
The Mustangs came back to tie the score twice with just over three minutes to go in the game to 70-70 and 72-72 both on junior captain Travis Hillery (Tyngsboro, MA/Central Catholic) lay-up's.
Although Mount Ida made a valiant effort at the end, the visitors eventually went ahead by seven points with 30 seconds to go and would close out the 80-74 GNAC win.
Benjamin was outstanding with a team high 23 points and six assists while Gibbs notched another double-double with 18 points and 10 dishes. Hillery was a house down low tallying a double-double as well with 18 points and 10 boards.
The visitors were led by a game high 26 points from Kelley who went an impressive 7-12 from downtown. Petzy added 15 points while junior Zack O'Brien (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) chipped in 14 points and eight assists.
The Mustangs will have to wait for their fate through the GNAC contest's being played today.