Tuesday, December 11, 2012 (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts) - Sophomore guard Aaron Kelly (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk) poured in 19 points in 23 minutes off the bench to lead the Mount Ida College men's basketball team over hosting non-conference foe Wheelock College, 78-64, Tuesday evening on Brunelli Court at the campus of Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The Mustangs improve to 4-6 on the season, while the Wildcats fall to 1-8. Mount Ida made the most of 19 forced turnovers, outscoring Wheelock, 24-9, in points off turnovers.
The Mustangs scored the first five points of the game over the first three minutes, before the Wildcats scored nine of the next 14 points, capped by a three-pointer from junior forward Paul Coucci (Dartmouth, MA), to pull them to within 10-9 with 12:08 to go in the opening half. Wheelock stayed within a point at 12-11, but Mount Ida ripped off a dozen unanswered points in a two-minute span to take a 24-11 advantage with 9:22 showing in the first half. The Mustangs later took its largest lead of the period at 32-18 with 4:15 left, but a three-pointer and a layup from Wildcats' senior forward Bashir Hudson (Jamaica Plain, MA) pulled the home team to within 32-23 with 3:50 to go. Mount Ida was unfazed and took a 40-27 lead into the intermission.
The Mustangs maintained a 45-34 cushion six minutes into the second stanza, before pulling away with a 16-3 stretch, fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Kelly, to take their biggest lead of the night at 61-37 with 9:26 remaining in the contest. Mount Ida later owned a 69-49 lead with 5:33 showing on the second half clock, but Wheelock put together an 11-1 run, paced by six points from Hudson and five from junior guard Bunky Williams (Miami, FL), to pull to within 70-60 with 1:37 to play in the game, but it was as close as the home team would get as the Mustangs held it off for the win.
Kelly was 7-11 from the floor, including 4-7 from three-point range for Mount Ida in addition to four rebounds and four assists. Freshman guard John Fortes (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) netted 14 points, grabbed five rebounds, handed out two assists and came up with a steal, while classmate Evens St. Juste (Hartford, CT/Bulkeley) chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds and a steal. Freshman forward Cam Walker (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) was the fourth Mustang to score double-digits and third newcomer with 11 points and also added four assists, three boards and three steals.
Coucci led all scorers with a career-high 24 points for the Wildcats, hitting on 9-11 from the floor, including 5-6 from beyond the three-point arc and also pulled down three rebounds, dished out two assists, made a steal and blocked a shot in 30 minutes off the bench. Hudson posted his fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and a season-high 15 rebounds in addition to a pair of assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Senior guard Daniel Higgins (Wakefield, MA) also contributed with eight points, three rebounds and an assist.
The Mustangs will come back from semester break and host GNAC foe Anna Maria College on January 5 at 1:00 p.m. at the Mount Ida Athletic Center.