Purple Knights Clinch Spot In ECC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament With 76-68 Home Win Over Mercy

Bridgeport, Conn-The University of Bridgeport men's basketball team clinched a spot in the 2016 East Coast Conference Championship Tournament with a 76-68 home win over the visiting mercy College Mavericks on Monday night in Hubbell Gym.  With the victory, the Purple Knights are now 14-12 overall and 11-7 in the ECC.  Mercy is now 12-12 overall and an even 9-9 in conference play.  UB raced out to a 41-29 halftime, and Mercy could come no closer than a six-point deficit in the second half.

Senior Muhammed Ahmed (Bronx, N.Y.) was dominant in the paint for the Purple Knights going 10-for-15 from the floor, as he scored 23 points to lead all scorers, and he also corralled six rebounds.

Ahmed was joined in double-digit scoring by classmates Devon Elliott (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who had 19 points, six assists and two steals and Jesse Jones (Irvington, N.J.) and Ernest Rouse (Freeport, N.Y.), who each scored 11 points.

Graduate student Antoine Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led Bridgeport on the glass with seven rebounds.

William Robinson led Mercy with 14 points on the night.

Up next, the UB men's basketball team will host ECC-leader St. Thomas Aquinas College in a Senior Night match-up on Wednesday evening.  Tip-time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.