On Saturday, Dec. 9, Marist men’s basketball extended their win streak to four with a 63-53 victory over Dartmouth College. After setting a new career high last time out, freshman guard Josh Pascarelli did it again, continuing his stellar play with a new career-high 26 points, including 6 makes from three. Pascarelli scored eight of Marist’s last 11 points.
The Red Foxes (6-2) traveled to Hanover, New Hampshire looking for their fourth straight win facing Dartmouth (2-6), who ended a three-game skid against the University of New Hampshire on Wednesday. Marist lost to an away matchup against New Hampshire 74-71 on Nov. 21.
Coming into the game, Marist was without two of their key players. Sophomore guard and team leader in assists Isaiah Brickner as well as sharpshooter junior guard Noah Harris, who is tied for first on the team in three-point percentage, were both not dressed.
The Big Green were also missing key players; their two leading scorers senior forward Dusan Neskovic and sophomore forward Brandon Mitchell-Day.
With Harris unavailable off the bench, senior guard Kam Farris was the first man off the bench following freshman guard Jadin Collins accruing two quick fouls, and Farris delivered early quality minutes.
After his 16-point game against Manhattan, Pascarelli stayed hot with a three-pointer for Marist.
However, Dartmouth responded with an extended 12-2 run, forcing a Marist timeout with the Red Foxes trailing 12-5 at 14:34 in the first half.
Marist came out of the timeout with seven unanswered points in two minutes, including a three from Farris tying the game at 12.
Sophomore center Max Allen II got involved with two buckets in the post. Another Farris three between Allen’s scores extended the run to 14-0. The flipped script now saw Big Green head coach David McLaughlin calling time for his squad amid a five-minute scoring drought.
Junior guard Ryan Cornish ended the Dartmouth drought with a bucket and two free throws, scoring 10 of Dartmouth’s first 16 points. A layup from sophomore forward Jackson Munro brought Dartmouth to within 3 with 7:54 remaining in the half.
A barrage of threes began with Farris lacing another three to push Marist ahead 24-18. Junior forward Connor Christiansen nailed a three on the other end. Pascarelli also converted a three to move into double figures.
Big Green sophomore forward Jaden Williams thundered a dunk over sophomore forward Jaden Daughtry. But, Daughtry hit two free throws to give Marist a 29-23 lead with just under four minutes left in the half.
With a minute remaining, Marist’s three-pointers continued falling with junior forward Jackson Price knocking down a three and then hitting two free throws to push the Red Foxes’ lead to 11. The dunk by Williams with under four minutes to go was the last score for Dartmouth of the half. Big Green ended the half on another scoring drought, lasting a little less than four minutes.
In the first half, Marist allowed only 11 points in the final 14 minutes of the half after a shaky defensive start. They held a double-digit lead of 34-23 going into the second half with the help of Farris providing an important nine points off the bench, all coming from behind the arc. Collins and Allen only played under 10 minutes because of foul trouble, but Pascarelli paced Marist with 10, along with an additional five from Price off the bench.
The Big Green’s only offense in the first half came from Cornish with 10 points. Dartmouth got no scoring from their bench and committed three more turnovers than Marist. The Red Foxes knocked down six threes and were 4-4 from the charity stripe, something the team has struggled with this season.
Williams came out of halftime firing with a three-pointer but Allen got things on the opposite end going with a baby hook. With both teams trading three-pointers; Johnson and Munro nailing shots for Dartmouth and Pascarelli responding. An offensive foul by Pascarelli brought the first timeout, Marist leading 41-34 with 14:59 left in the game.
The Red Foxes came out of the timeout sloppy with five quick turnovers, compared to three in the entire first half. Williams kept his onslaught going with another deep three, increasing his total to 11 points.
A bucket by junior guard Romeo Myrthil brought the Big Green within four with 12:25 left. Pascarelli hit another timely basket ending an 8-2 Dartmouth run. The three-pointer increased Pascarelli’s total to 18 points.
Cornish scoring a layup off an errant pass forced a Marist timeout with their halftime lead now shrunk to three with 10:16 left in the game. Two minutes later, a Cornish bucket and a hook shot from Myrthil gave Dartmouth their first lead since early in the first half.
Allen ended a four-minute drought with an and-one bucket to put Marist up two with five minutes left.
Two minutes later, Pascarelli drained his fifth three to push Marist ahead 55-49 in the closing minutes. Williams hit 2-3 free throws but Pascarelli scored a mid-range jumper to maintain the six-point lead.
After Cornish missed the front end of a one-and-one Pascarelli nailed a dagger three for his 26th point and a nine-point Marist lead with 1:57 left. Dartmouth could not find an answer, and Collins sealed the game with two free throws with a minute left.
Despite the slow start in the second half, the Red Foxes again leaned on their defense, holding the Big Green without a field goal for the final five minutes, allowing just 10 points in the final 10 minutes to win 63-53.
Offensively, Allen followed behind Pascarelli with 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Allen and Pascarelli accounted for all of Marist’s field goals except one in the second half. Graduate student forward Javon Cooley did not score but, led Marist with eight rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes.
Cornish and Willaims led Dartmouth with 14 and 13 each, but the Big Green shot 39 percent from the floor and committed 15 turnovers.
The Red Foxes will return to McCann Arena in a home matchup against The University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, December 18th. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Edited by: Aidan Lavin
Graphic: Ben Monrad
