NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After ending the regular season with a 110-89 defeat at top-ranked Albertus Magnus College, Mount Ida College will prepare for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament, and for the first time since 2010, will host a quarterfinal game at Mount Ida Athletic Center.
The Mustangs (16-9, 12-6 GNAC) finish the regular season with the most conference wins in program history and the most overall wins since the 2001 season. They will host #5 seed Saint Joseph's Maine on Tuesday at 7:00 pm, looking for their third win over the Monks this season.
The Mustangs' bench totaled 62 of their 89 points on Saturday, including double-digit performances from Dennis Ross (Portland, Maine), Jesse Nelson (Hopatcong, N.J.) and John Oliver (N. Babylon, N.Y.).
Nelson led the way with 17 points on 8-9 shooting from the floor, while Ross scored 16 points. Oliver and starting guard Joey DeFillippi (Bristol, Conn.) scored 11 points each.
Grant Ellis (Newark, N.J.) scored 37 points for Albertus, 22 of them in the first 20 minutes of play as the Falcons grabbed leads of 16-5 and 22-9 before Jacob Sartain (W. Palm Beach, Fla.) pulled the Mustangs to within eight.
Albertus pushed their lead back up to double-digits and their advantage was 60-35 at half and 70-37, their largest lead, at the 17:47 mark of the second half.
Nelson converted a layup to cap a 37-14 run for the Mustangs and cut the deficit to 84-74, but Mount Ida ran out of time to come back.
Along with his 37 points, Ellis finished with three rebounds and a steal for Albertus, who saw four starters finish in double figures, including Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.), who had a double-double with 27 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
Junior Kevin Conner (Mansfield, Mass.) scored seven points, as did Sartain and Harry Alexander (Washington, D.C.).
The Falcons (20-4, 16-2 GNAC) have clinched the regular season title and will host Anna Maria Tuesday in their quarterfinal matchup.