Marist men’s basketball led by 14 at the half. However, their offense stalled for much of the second half, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County cut the lead to as little as one. The Red Foxes relied on their defense in the final moments to come away with a 65-59 win.
Sophomore center Max Allen led Marist (2-0) in scoring with 12 points, half of them coming in the clutch. Sophomore forward Jaden Daughtry delivered an all-around performance recording 11 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks for the Red Foxes.
Marist entered today off a strong opening victory over Army West Point. UMBC (0-2), however, came in looking for the first win after a tight loss to Louisville.
Sophomore guard Isaiah Brickner again started the game off the bench for Marist, and both squads utilized the same starting five as they did in their respective openers.
Both teams struggled offensively early due to stiff defense. But after a corner three from Daughtry and an open layup by freshman guard Jadin Collins, UMBC head coach Jim Ferry called timeout at the 15:19 mark with Marist up 7-5.
Marist continued to work offensively and consecutive buckets from junior guard Noah Harris, one a pull-up three and another a midrange jumper capped an 11-0 run. The Retrievers were held to 4-16 shooting at the under-12 timeout, with the Red Foxes leading 16-9.
UMBC scored two layups out of the timeout, but Marist freshman Josh Pascarelli drained a step-back three to push the lead back to six.
Minutes later, Pascarelli hit another three off a screen. A transition layup by Brickner and a tough inside finish from Collins forced another UMBC timeout. The Red Foxes stretched their lead to 13 with 9:14 remaining in the half.
The Retrievers were getting little to none offensively, with every shot being contested without fouls and Marist controlling the glass.
UMBC graduate transfer Khydarius Smith ended a three-minute scoring drought with a lefty drive. With 4:54 left, junior guard Bryce Johnson drove into the paint, but Daughtry met him at the apex and sent the shot out of bounds.
A mini 5-0 run from UMBC cut the lead to 12, and Marist head coach John Dunne called a timeout to get his offense set for the last 3 minutes of the first half. Brickner recorded his third assist with a dime to a cutting Daughtry, leading Marist in scoring to that point.
Marist led at the half 36-22 and shot 48 percent from the field. UMBC was held to 29 percent shooting, including 2-11 from three. The Red Foxes again displayed a balanced offense with four players scoring five or more points. Junior guard Marcus Banks Jr led the way for UMBC with eight points at the half but shot 3-10 from the field.
Banks Jr halted a six-minute scoring drought that went into the second half off an offensive rebound and put back. Marist led 38-24 and Dunne called timeout with 17:11 remaining.
Marist lost some rhythm on offense due to lack of motion and turnovers. However, their lead stayed intact as they were up 12 at 14:34 left in the game.
UMBC leading scorer Dion Brown scored six straight and brought the lead down to single digits. A block from behind by Brown on Marist junior big man Jackson Price increased the momentum for the Retrievers heading into the under-12 timeout.
Marist’s offense continued to stall, with only two made shots with 10 minutes left in the game. However, Pascarelli hit a huge fading jumper, and on the next possession, Daughtry drove baseline and slammed it home to regain the Red Foxes’ double-digit lead.
Brown continued to heat up with a step-back jumper, now up to 16 points, and cut the deficit to seven at the 7:37 mark. Two more free throws from Brown brought the game within five points.
Harris nailed a three in response to UMBC pressuring full court. Retrievers senior center Max Lorca-Loyd scored twice down low to cut the deficit to four with five minutes left.
Harris hit another three off the backboard, giving a double-digit scoring performance off the bench. Next possession, Brown answered with a corner three of his own. A Daughtry finish off a pass from graduate student forward Javon Cooley put Marist up five with 3:48 left.
UMBC cut the lead to one with a pick-n-roll finish by Smith. Allen responded on the other end with a jumper over Smith.
Allen hit a jump hook with 1:56 left and pushed Marist ahead by five. Banks Jr scored another free layup after a fumbled steal by Allen. With 1:19 remaining, Ferry called time to set up his defense down three.
Retrievers freshman guard Ace Valentine stole the ball from a pressured Collins and Banks Jr laid it in, making it a one-point game with a minute left. Allen scored both free throws to put the lead back to three.
A jump ball after a missed attempt from Brown gave UMBC possession with 26 seconds left. Daughtry stole the inbounds pass, but lost the ball on the baseline. After another inbounds pass, Collins tipped the ball to himself and was fouled hard on the other end by Banks Jr with 17 seconds left. Collins hit one of two free throws to go up four.
Brown and Valentine missed shots, and sophomore forward Trace Salton finished the game with a breakaway dunk.
UMBC’s Brown finished with 23, and 19 of those points came in the second half. Marist banked on their defense late, and Brown’s last points came with 3:36 left.
Marist will continue their road trip against in-state rival and fellow America East opponent Binghampton University on Saturday, November 18. Tipoff at Dr. Brai Lee Court is set for 3:30 p.m.
Edited by: Aidan Lavin
Graphic: Ben Monrad
Photo Credit: Marist Athletics
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