NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Dean College men's basketball team narrowly defeated Mitchell College on the road Wednesday night, winning by a final score of 88-86. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) win puts Dean at 15-5 (6-2 GNAC), while the Mariners drop to 6-15 (2-7 GNAC).

How it Happened:
-Similar to the preceding women's game, both sides exchanged blows through the early minutes. Naser Motley (Everett, Wash.) scored Dean's first basket on a layup inside. Izayah Porter (Jonesboro, Ga.) shortly followed suit with a two-point play.
-Just five minutes into the game, the Mariners narrowly had the lead 8-7. Brandon Lee and Abdul Mansaray evenly split each of Mitchell's first four baskets.
-Mitchell would see their lead increase just two minutes later. They extended their advantage to five points after Lee and David Stallworth tipped in baskets at the glass.
-However, the tide began to turn in favor of the Bulldogs shortly after. Christian Yeates (Atlanta, Ga.) knocked down a pair of free-throws, eventually prompting three consecutive scores from Porter and Xavier Rubio (San Diego, Ca.). Dean once again had the lead, 19-16.
-Over the next ten minutes, the Bulldogs would go on an impressive 18-2 run. Cedric Louis (West Palm Beach, Fl.) became a large factor for the Bulldogs in this stretch. He collected several key rebounds at the glass and forced a crucial block inside the paint.
-Other key scorers in the run included Darius Leonard (Washington, D.C.) and Xavier Boyd (Loganville, Ga.). At the end of the first half, Dean led the Mariners 47-27.
-Despite a dominant start by Dean, Mitchell came out of the locker room with a mission. Beginning at the 11-minute mark in the second half, they went on an impressive 14-3 run. The stretch began with six consecutive free throw conversions and a strong three-pointer from Troy Butler.
-Porter mitigated the damage with a layup of his own, but Mitchell now cut the lead to ten points.
-Fouls became a large issue for Dean in the final moments. Louis, Donnary Fontenot (Atlanta, Ga.), and Randy Vasquez (Methuen, Mass.) would all foul-out of the game. Porter also crept close with four fouls.
-The Mariners took advantage of Dean's miscues in the final minutes, cutting the lead as low as two points. With about 30 seconds to play, it was anyone's game.
-With the win on the line, Motley came up big for the Bulldogs. He would draw a foul on Mitchell's Zaveyn Tate, eventually converting on both free throws. This gave Dean a two-score lead with 26 seconds to go.
-Despite one final push by Mansaray, the Mariners came up short. Dean took the narrow victory with a final score of 88-86.
 
Standouts:
-Porter (20 Points, 3 Steals, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists)
-Motley (19 Points, 6 Rebounds, Block, Steal)
-Yeates (18 Points, 8 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 4 Steals)
 
Next Up:
-Saturday, February 7th, 3:00PM Vs. Saint Joseph's College of Maine (GNAC Contest / Pieri Gymnasium).

For Media Inquiries:
Brett Chaves
Sports Information Director, Dean College Athletics
(508) 541-1826
BChaves@dean.edu