Monday, December 12, 2011 (Newton, Massachusetts) - The Mount Ida College men's basketball team continue their woes from three point land shooting only 10 percent from beyond the arc surrendering a 69-57 non-league loss to visiting Wheelock College Monday evening in Newton, Massachusetts for their fifth consecutive defeat of the season.
Although the Mustangs flourished underneath the basket out rebounding the Wildcats 46-38 total and 14-9 offensively, their shooting issues have haunted them throughout the five game losing skid. Mount Ida falls to an overall record of 3-6 remaining at 0-2 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play.
Visiting Wheelock improves to 3-6 overall, snapping a two game losing streak with the win, standing at 1-1 in New England Collegiate College (NECC) competition.
The Mustangs saw three players in double figures led by senior center Travis Hillery (Tyngsboro, MA/Central Catholic) win 14 points, on 7-10 shooting from the floor, along with five caroms and three blocks. Freshman guard Vance Steinbergin (Englewood, NJ/Teaneck), who saw the first start of his career tonight, chipped in 12 points and three steals while senior captain Joe Cabral (Walpole, MA/Walpole) tallied 10 points and eight rebounds. Junior Ashton Johnson (New Haven, CT/Notre Dame) pulled down nine boards respectively.
The Wildcats saw an impressive individual performance from senior center Eric Rice (Woburn, MA/Woburn) converting a game-high 23 points on 10-17 shooting. Rice, who is not a perimeter player, surprisingly went 3-5 from downtown getting a lot of uncontested looks behind the arc when open. Senior's Max Kaim (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cypress Bay), Elliot Hernandez (Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cypress Bay) and Kyle Pierce (Burlington, MA/Burlington) all added 10 point each while junior Bashir Hudson (Jamaica Plain, MA/Weston) pulled down a game-high 10 boards as well.
After surrendering the opening bucket to the visitors, the Mustangs pulled ahead by five points following a freshman Jaiquan Wynter (Hartford, CT/Hartford Public) lay-in to lead 11-6 through the first six minutes of play.
Mount Ida continued to hold strong offensively for the next two minutes going ahead 18-9 following a small 7-3 spurt capped on a Cabral trifecta.
The action would go back and forth for the next seven minutes (7:57) with the Mustangs up a couple of possessions throughout and would go on to hold a nine point advantage (29-20) following a three point play the hard way by Johnson.
Wheelock came clawing back mounting a 10-0 run through the next two minutes (5:17)on back-to-back three's by Hernandez and Rice followed by a lay-up in the paint by Pierce and another from Rice taking the 30-29 advantage.
On the ensuing basket, the Mustangs recaptured the lead up by four twice capped on a Steinbergin lay-in with three minutes to go in the stanza up 36-32.
The Wildcats cut the lead to one point (36-35) on a successful trifecta by sophomore Paul Coucci (Dartmouth, MA/Dartmouth) and would eventually sink the final basket of the half heading into the locker room with a 37-36 advantage.
The opening stanza was very tight with both squads shooting around 50 percent from the floor. The Mustangs 1-8 showing from downtown was trumped by the Wildcats 45.5 percent from beyond the arc (5-11) keeping the visitors ahead.
To open the second half, Wheelock jumped ahead by five points through the first two minutes (18:18) capped on a successful lay-in from Rice leading 43-38.
A small 6-0 run by the Mustangs gave the hosts a 44-43 advantage with 16:35 to go in the half after a good lay-up by McNair.
This would be the last time Mount Ida would see the lead in the contest with a good Rice jumper ensuing on the next possession (45-44). The visitors continued to dangle the opportunity to regain the advantage in the Mustangs faces but the hosts struggled to overcome it.
The game would knot once at the 12:49 mark after a successful Mount Ida three pointer from Jones tied at 47-47.
The squads exchanged baskets through the next five minutes with no more than one possession separating each other. The visitors would push through the final stretch of the contest to command a 64-55 advantage with 2:21 remaining following a good Pierce lay-in.
Wheelock would eventually go ahead by double digits towards the final ticks of the game after costly turnovers by the Mustangs and poor shooting. The Wildcats would close out the 69-57 victory handing Mount Ida their fifth straight loss.
Turnovers and ice cold shooting plagued the Mustangs in the second half surrendering 16 points off giveaways and four on second chances. Mount Ida led the game with 19 total turnovers while the visitors coughed up 14.
The Mustangs will try and re-group through the semester break and kick start action in the New Year on January 7, 2012 at GNAC foe Norwich University with game time slated for 3:00 p.m.