BUFFALO, N.Y. – Opening up their home conference slate, the D'Youville University men's basketball team fell to Mercy University by a score of 65-60 Friday evening.
 
The Saints (2-7, 0-3 ECC) were led by TI Scruggs (Huntsville, Ala./Hazel Green) with 13 points with Justin Moore (Oxford, Ala./Oxford) adding 12 points. Dawson Matsell (Hamilton, Ontario/Orangeville Prep) had a solid night on the glass, grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds.
 
DYU found themselves in a 10-point deficit with just over seven minutes left in the first half of action before going on an 8-0 run to make it 25-23. The run was started by a three-pointer from Renard Fontes-Jules (Brockton, Mass./Olympus Sports Academy) followed by a pair of free throws. Noah Hutchins (Buffalo, N.Y./IMG Academy) closed the run with a pair of free throws of his own. The Mavs got back out to a seven-point lead by a layup from Kevin Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon-St. Jude) made it 30-25 in favor of Mercy at the break.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Saints came out a blaze, going on a 7-0 run after a made basket from Mercy. Fontes-Jules got things going, converting an and-one opportunity capped off by a slam from Elisha Warren (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven) to make it 32-32 at the 18:26 mark. The teams traded buckets but D'Youville retook the lead with a jumper from Scruggs followed by a jumper from Moore to lead 38-34.
 
The teams kept battling one another, trading baskets as neither could garnish more than a one-possession advantage. It wasn't until the 4:16 mark that the Mavs got a four-point lead to make it 53-49. DYU didn't go away quietly, scoring on a three-pointer from Jaylin Simmons (Queens, N.Y./Benjamin Cardozo) and a basket from Scruggs to make it 56-56 with 2:14 remaining. The Mavs quickly got the momentum back, scoring seven unanswered to help close out the game.
 
D'Youville went 21-for-67 (31.3 percent) from the floor with Mercy going 25-for-64 (39.1 percent). The Mavs held the slight edge on the glass, grabbing 46 rebounds to the Saints' 45.
 
The Saints will be back in action this Sunday, December 15th, as they host St. Thomas Aquinas College at 3 p.m.