Men's Basketball Topple Elms 88-69

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The MCLA Men's Basketball Team headed to the Pioneer Valley for a non-conference matchup with the Elms College Blazers at the Picknelly Arena in the team's final game before their winter break. A season-best shooting performance and a career-high 27 points from Hayden Morris-Gray paced the Trailblazers to their first win of the season.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
• Score: MCLA 88, Elms College 69
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 1-10 (MASCAC 0-0) | Elms College Blazers 0-10 (GNAC 0-0)

HIGHLIGHTS

MCLA worked out to an early seven-point lead with a 7-0 run that was capped by a layup from graduate student forward Jackson Brown (Latham, NY) with just under four minutes off the clock. Elms responded with an 8-0 run of their own, only to see junior guard Jake Bluestein (San Diego, CA) cut what would

• MCLA worked their way out to an early lead, opening the game with a 7-0 with just under four minutes off the clock. The run was capped off by a layup from grad student forward Jackson Brown (Latham, NY).
• The Blazers responded with an 8-0 run of their own to take an 8-7 lead. What would turn out to be Elms' only lead of the game lasted a total of 12 seconds before junior guard Jake Bluestein (San Diego, CA) knocked down a three-pointer off a pass from junior guard Colby Burleson (Pittsboro, NC) to put the Trailblazers back in front.
• MCLA would eventually grow their lead to as many as 13 at two points in the first half before being reeled back in by the hosts and taking a 35-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.
• With a 7-3 run to open the second half, Elms cut the Trailblazers' lead down to two points before sophomore guard Hayden Morris-Gray (Port Jefferson Station, NY) responded with a layup and converted on the plus-one free throw.
• The teams punched and counter-punched through the opening minutes of the second half, with MCLA building leads of as many as ten points and the Blazers getting as close as within two points before the Trailblazers doubled up Elms over the final 11:12, 34-17.
• Morris-Gray set a new career-high with a game-high 25 points on the strength of a 13-17 showing from the charity stripe. Morris-Gray tied with senior guard JoJo Garcia (Henderson, NV) for a game-high four assists. Garcia also tied with Elms' RJ Mayfield for a game-high eight rebounds. Bluestein had 13 points in 12 minutes off the bench, while Brown and junior guard Craig Williams (Dover, DE) each added 11 points.
• The Blazers were led by 12 points each from Andrew Ciaglo and Aden Goffe and 10 points from Kishaun Cole.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Field Goals / %: MCLA 29-56 / 51.8%, Elms 28-70 / 40%
• 3 Points / %: MCLA 11-26 / 42.3%, Elms 4-15 / 26.7%
• Free Throw / %: MCLA 19-27 / 70.4%, Elms 9-13 / 69.2%
• Rebounds: MCLA 38, Elms 31
• Points off Turnovers: MCLA 17, Elms 15
• Second Chance Points: MCLA 19, Elms 12
• Points in the Paint: MCLA 36, Elms 44
• Bench Points: MCLA 31, Elms 32

UP NEXT:

The Trailblazers will be off for winter break until Friday, January 3^rd, when they play host to VTSU-Lyndon for a non-conference matchup with the Hornets in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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