Men’s Basketball Powers Past Mitchell College, 81-66

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Elms College senior guard Andre French (Torrington, Conn.) scored a team-high 19 points and junior forward Isaiah Odunlami (Providence, R.I.) swished 14 points off the bench to help pace the Blazers to an 81-66 victory over Mitchell College in Thursday evening's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) men's basketball game at Yarnall Athletic Center in New London, Conn.

With the win, Elms improves to 5-7 overall, 4-0 in NECC play, while Mitchell falls to 5-6 overall, 1-2 in conference action.

Elms shot a superb 54.0-percent from the field and 46.2-percent from three-point range including a 3 of 7 showing from French.

Blazers' senior forward David McDaniel (Plainfield, N.J.) added eight points and a game-best nine rebounds, and senior forward Darius Griffin (Winter Haven, Fla.) netted eight points off the bench behind Odunlami's 14-point effort in reserve.

Sophomore guard Piere Simpson (East Hartford, Conn.) was the catalyst for Elms' offensive surge dishing out a game-high seven assists, while senior forward Jamal Hulum (Norfolk, Va.) swatted three shots.

After playing to a 16-16 tie in the 7:45 of the contest, Elms exploded for a 16-0 run to notch a 32-16 lead, and capped the first period with a 47-33 advantage.

The Blazers kept the Mariners at bay, maintaining at least a 17-point cushion in the second half and led by as many as 23 points (79-56) on a layup by senior guard James Black (Baltimore, Md.) with 5:50 to play.

Four of Mitchell's five starters scored in double figures including Joshua Ford (Jersey City, N.J.) who poured in a game-high 21 points on 8 of 17 shooting in addition to pulling down a team-best seven rebounds.

Devonta Mosley (Gainesville, Fla.) added 12 points and Michael Pellegrini (Middletown, Conn.) and Anthony Epps (Norwalk, Conn.) notched 10 points each in the losing effort for the Mariners who shot a stellar 42.0-percent from the floor as a team.

Ford, Mosley and Epps dished out three assists each, while Ford added a pair of rejections.  

Elms returns to NECC action on Saturday, January 12 when it hosts Wheelock College at 3:00 p.m. at Picknelly Arena.