New Haven, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College men's basketball team cruised past visiting Mitchell, 107-87, in non-conference play on Thursday night at The Nest inside the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Athletic Center.
The Falcons (5-2) topped the 100-point mark for the second consecutive game en route to their fourth home victory in a row, while the Mariners (0-5) dropped their fifth straight contest to open the year.
The balanced Albertus Magnus offensive attack saw three players score 20 or more points led by junior forward Jaqhawn Walters (Hartford, Conn.) with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Walters also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds to record his fifth double-double of the campaign. In his first action on the season, junior transfer Mason Jones (Manchester, N.J.) erupted for 23 points and brought the crowd to their feet with a trio of monster dunks. Senior guard Shaquille Mitchell (Linden, N.J.) provided a spark off the bench for the hosts with 23 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting.
Three Mitchell players scored in double figures led by sophomore center Domenico Santiago (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) with a team-best 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Santiago was a force in the post, grabbbing 15 boards while adding two assists and two steals. Junior guards Brayvon Young and Alan Morgan had strong games as well for the visitors. Young has 18 points thanks to hitting five shots from beyond the arc and Morgan poured in 15 points to go along with a game-high 11 assists.
Albertus Magnus came charging out of the gates, scoring the first eight points of the contest capped by a windmill dunk from Jones. The Falcons never trailed in the contest and controlled the tempo throughout. Midway through the opening stanza, the Falcons stretched their lead to 13 at 30-17 following back-to-back layups from Mitchell and Walters. Leading by 10 with four minutes left in the half, AMC reeled off 12 straight points capped by a Mitchell basket in transition to take a 56-34 advantage.
Mitchell closed the first half on 7-0 run to cut their deficit to 15 at 56-41 heading into the break. During the spurt, Santiago made three free throws and pulled down a trio of boards for the guests. Albertus Magnus forced 13 turnovers during the opening 20 minutes and shot better than 50 percent from the field to start the contest for the second straight game.
In the second half, Mitchell was unable to make it a single-digit deficit. Albertus Magnus answered every charge of the Mariners with one of their own. Before the benches were emptied and reserves for each took the court, Albertus Magnus stretched its lead to as many as 28 late in regulation.
Albertus Magnus has now won 10 straight against Mitchell and the Falcons lead the all-time series, 11-2, with the first meeting coming back in 2005. In the game, AMC turned 20 Mitchell turnovers into 25 points. The Falcons are 5-0 this season when scoring 83 or more points.
Albertus Magnus returns to action on Saturday, December 10, with a home Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) showdown against Suffolk that is slated to begin at 3:00 pm. The Falcons swept the season series against the Rams last year, winning by 10 on the road and 16 at home. In the road victory, AMC shot 50 percent from the field and saw three players score in double figures, while holding Suffolk to just 38 percent shooting.
For the latest information on the men's basketball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.
