Florida duo warming up for Mitchell
Port St. Lucie friends Santiago and Morgan enjoy a special bond
New London — Years from now, Domenico Santiago and Alan Morgan expect to be playing basketball somewhere together.
Perhaps at a park in their hometown of Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Two former high school teammates and now veteran starters at Mitchell College, they're not ready to part ways just yet.
The chemistry between Morgan, a playmaking guard, and San- tiago, a low post force, was clearly evident in Mitchell's entertaining 94-86 win over Dean College on Thursday in the New England Collegiate Conference.
A number of Morgan's 17 assists went to Santiago, who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds in 23 minutes. The Mariners (67, 2-0), who trailed only briefly, needed their contribution along with a spark from sophomore forward Hasani Williams (30 points, 12 rebounds) to pull out the victory.
Morgan's assist total is the third highest in Division III this season and broke the school's Division III single-game record.
"We kind of know where each other is at on the floor at all times," Santiago said. "And he's a great passer and he puts the ball right where I can catch it and I hope to make a layup."
Morgan added: "We complement each other very well."
Take one particular eye-opening play with Mitchell trying to hold on to the lead with about six and a half minutes remaining.
Morgan drove the lane and threw a nifty behind-the-back pass
to Santiago, who collected the ball down low, quickly turned and converted an off-balanced layup before falling.
During a key 13-4 run that handed Mitchell an 86-74 edge, the powerful but agile 6-foot-5, 260-pound Santiago assisted on two baskets and scored seven points.
"The thing with Alan and Dom is, they have a chemistry and they're just linked," coach Todd Peretz said. "They've been playing together since they were young kids. There are passes that Alan makes, everyone else that's turnover. ... Dom knows if he keeps moving, Alan will find him."
Morgan and Santiago first met as freshmen at Port St. Lucie High School and immediately hit it off. "We had class together and ever since then we've been a one-two punch," Santiago said.
Morgan arrived at Mitchell first and Santiago followed him after spending a year at community college.
The Port St. Lucie pipeline started before the pair headed north to Mitchell. Peretz recruited several other players from that area, including current Mariner, senior Brayvon Young who attended St. Lucie West Centennial.
"We've been very fortunate," Peretz said. "Port St. Lucie has been really, really good to us between obviously Alan and Dom and Brayvon. And even prior to that, we had Frank Martin who played for us and graduated (in 2016) and was on the team that went to the NCAAs."
It made it easy for Morgan and Santiago to leave Florida.
"All the schools looking at me were northern schools, so I figured if I'm going to move far away from home, I might as well come be with some of my friends and make the adjustment easier," Morgan said.
After Morgan convinced him to visit Mitchell, Santiago joined the Mariners.
"People don't realize how good he is," Peretz said of Santiago. "They just see a big, stocky-built kid. They don't realize how good his hands are and how good his feet are . ... He's deceiving."
The Mariners took their lumps playing a difficult non-conference schedule to prepare them for NECC play. They made a homecoming trip for their five Floridians on the roster, visiting NAIA power St. Thomas in Miami and playing an exhibition game versus Florida National in December.
"It was phenomenal to go home and play in front of our families," Santiago said.
With Santiago, Morgan and Williams leading the charge, Mitchell hopes to to contend for the NECC title.
It would be a heck of a way for Morgan, a senior, and Santiago to end their last season together. Or at least their last season on the collegiate level.
"We'll find our way back to playing together, even if it is just pick-up basketball at the park," Santiago said. g.keefe@theday.com