Franklin, MA- The Dean College men's basketball team secured a 87-76 win versus Mitchell College Thursday night inside Pieri Gymnasium. Dean now moves to 15-9 (7-6), while Mitchell moves to 14-10 (6-7). The Bulldogs have also secured their largest win total in the last five seasons.

This contest was finished as a continuation from Tuesday, February 12th. The Bulldogs began the game leading 18-14 with 10:06 remaining in the first half. Billy Ray Barnes III (Inglewood, CA) had one free throw remaining, which he made to begin the contest.

The Bulldogs began the game on a 14-5 run with impressive efforts from Frankie Idlett (Miami, FL) and Christian Yeates (Atlanta, GA). Idlett converted from three and inside the paint, with Yeates was able to drive and create his own opportunities. Dean also made multiple defensive stops to open the game, only allowing two points in the first five minutes of play. Afterward, Mitchell proceeded to go on a quick 5-0 run, cutting the lead to six. Randy Vasquez (Methuen, MA) checked into the game and attempted to shut down the threat. Mitchell, however, made several successful rebounds on offense and brought the game within four. 

Dean managed to keep their lead going into the locker room after a sensational rebound and score. Vasquez secured the defensive board, and with three seconds left, Idlett beat the buzzer with a deep three-pointer. The Bulldogs led 41-32 at the half. 

Greg Farrow (Milwaukee, WI) opened the second half with a quick bucket, followed by consecutive stops on defense by the Bulldogs. Idlett then took advantage of soft coverage and drove for a layup, giving Dean an eleven point lead. After a quick timeout and block by Noah Ritchards (Rosenburg, TX), Idlett responded with another three-pointer. The Bulldogs forced a Mitchell timeout with a Ritchards alley-oop dunk from Barnes, making the advantage 14 total points. 

For the next six minutes, Dean would not see their lead go under eleven points. Ja'maine Davenport (Mays Landing, NJ) sunk multiple baskets from the field, while Farrow supplemented with rebounds on the other side. Farrow also chipped-in on offense, knocking down a contested, mid-range jumper. With just over seven minutes to-go, Mitchell cut the lead to ten and called timeout. 

Throughout the final moments of the game, Dean successfully killed clock and converted on defensive rebounds. Ritchards also slammed his second and third dunks of the night, sending the Dean faithful into a frenzy. They walked away victorious by a final score of 87-76.

Davenport led the Bulldogs in scoring with 29 points, eight total rebounds, and one steal. Idlett followed closely with 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Barnes finished with 13 points and a team-leading four assists. As a team, Dean shot over 47 percent from the field and collected an impressive 48 boards. 

The Bulldogs have officially clinched a spot into the playoffs, with the potential to host a game inside of Pieri. They will finish the regular season on Saturday with a trip to Saint Joseph's College of Maine. Tip-off is slated for 3:00PM.

The statistics and play-by-play from the first portion of this game can be found on www.deanbulldogs.com.