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NEC Turns Back Men’s Basketball 79-71

JoJo Garcia had a career-high 25 points at NEC
JoJo Garcia had a career-high 25 points at NEC

HENNIKER, N.H. – The MCLA Men's Basketball Team returned to action this afternoon with a non-conference matchup with the New England College Pilgrims on the road at the Bridges Gymnasium. A career-high 25 points from JoJo Garcia led a trio of Trailblazers with double-digit points, but MCLA couldn't match a Pilgrims team that was nearly perfect at the foul line, going 20-22.

THE BASICS:

  • Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
  • Score: MCLA 71, NEC 79
  • Records: MCLA Trailblazers 0-10 (MASCAC 0-0) | New England College Pilgrims 1-7 (GNAC 0-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The game was a back-and-forth affair that featured 14 lead changes and four ties. Neither team ever got to a double-digit lead; NEC came closest, building a lead to nine points with just under five minutes to go in the first half.
  • Senior guard JoJo Garcia (Henderson, NV) led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, besting his previous high of 21 points at Westfield State on January 6th of last season. Garcia also recorded a game-high 10 points for his second double-double of the season, following up on his 11-point 12 board showing at Williams College on November 26th.
  • For the Trailblazers, sophomore guard Hayden Morris-Gray (Port Jefferson Station, NY) and grad student forward Jackson Brown (Latham, NY) joined Garcia in the double-digits club, scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively.
  • NEC was paced by 21 points and five rebounds from Nick Gomeau. The Pilgrims also got 16 points from the bench from Theisen Lee and another 15 from Mike Strazzeri. Aiden Macleod and Kenray Emadamerho tied with a team-high seven rebounds.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

  • Field Goals / %: MCLA 25-61 / 41%, NEC 27-59 / 45.8%
  • 3 Points / %: MCLA 10-31 / 32.3%, NEC 5-10 / 50%
  • Free Throw / %: MCLA 11-18 / 61.1%, NEC 20-22 / 90.9%
  • Rebounds: MCLA 38, NEC 34
  • Points off Turnovers: MCLA 11, NEC 21
  • Second Chance Points: MCLA 15, NEC 15
  • Points in the Paint: MCLA 30, NEC 38
  • Bench Points: MCLA 11, NEC 27

UP NEXT:

On Tuesday, MCLA will be back in action when they travel to Elms College for a non-conference matchup with the Blazers at the Picknelly Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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