In a rematch of last year’s MAAC conference tournament semifinal, Marist men’s basketball bested Saint Peter’s 63-52 with lethal three-point shooting and stellar second-half defense.
Four players scored in double figures for Marist (11-9, 6-5 MAAC) , who beat the Peacocks (11-9, 7-4 MAAC) at McCann Arena for the first time in four years.
“We didn’t put our best foot forward on Friday night. I thought we had the right competitive spirit and the right mentality. We shared the ball and we played the game the right way,” said Marist head coach John Dunne.
Graduate student forward Javon Cooley’s 11 points, all coming in the second half, catalyzed the Marist offense down the stretch. Overall, the Red Foxes hit 12 three-pointers and had 16 team assists on 23 made field goals. The Peacocks’ offense stagnated in the second half to the tune of 25 percent shooting from the field and seven turnovers.
“We had good spacing and we were willing to pass it. Some were in transition, some were drive and kick, and some were off [sophomore center Max Allen II] getting doubled,” said Dunne.
Both teams suffered home losses on Friday night; Saint Peter’s lost in overtime to Niagara, while Marist suffered their biggest loss at McCann Arena this season in a blowout against Mount St. Mary’s. The Peacocks faced additional challenges, playing their second game without All-MAAC third-team selection and leading scorer sophomore forward Corey Washington.
Each squad entered play boasting a top-flight defense, with both being in the top 15 nationally in points allowed per game.
The Red Foxes started with energy and worked a 13-7 lead with five quick points from freshman guard Josh Pascarelli. Saint Peter’s senior guard Latrell Reid tied the game with five straight points; one bucket off a big block by sophomore forward Mohamed Sow and a pull-up three-pointer. The Peacocks settled on defense and started to press after making baskets.
Marist did not score in the half-court for several minutes because of the Peacocks’ zone defense. Sophomore guard Isaiah Brickner ended the drought with a three-pointer.
“They junk it up a little bit, they were icing side ball screens. We planned to post the zone but Max wasn’t in, kind of messed us up,” said Dunne.
Junior guard Elijah Wood nailed two three-pointers off the bench and gave the Peacocks a 23-20 lead with 4:34 left in the first half. Saint Peter’s shot 5-12 from deep in the first half.
Pascarelli tied the game at 29 on a corner three with 28 seconds left before the break. Out of Marist’s 10 made baskets in the first half, seven came from behind the arc. Reid beat the buzzer with a step-back jumper to give Saint Peter’s a 31-29 lead at the break.
Allen II subbed out early in the second half after being called for his third foul; junior forward Jackson Price tied the game at 34 with his second three-pointer.
“[Price] shoots it with confidence. Those makes were momentum builders in the first half,” said Dunne.
Sow continued to impact the game with a steal and slam after picking Brickner’s pocket. On the next possession, the big man from Senegal drained a three-pointer, forcing a Marist timeout. The Peacocks now led 41-40 with 12:24 remaining in the game.
Cooley laced three shots from deep in an 11-3 Marist run to put his team up seven and force a Saint Peter’s timeout. Allen II also contributed, finding Cooley twice when doubled in the paint.
“It felt pretty good hitting three in a row and giving my team a spark,” said Cooley.
Allen II scored his first points with two consecutive buckets to open a double-digit Marist lead, 54-43. The Peacock’s offense went cold, having only scored five buckets in the second half with 3:47 left to go. As for Marist, eight of their 11 field goals came off assists, as the Red Foxes adeptly took advantage of the aggressive, rotating Saint Peter’s defense.
“I think it started with Jadin Collins, on the ball on Reid and pressuring him. I thought we extended their catches and we had a good energy about us today,” said Dunne.
With three minutes remaining, Cooley finished an emphatic alley-oop slam over a Peacocks defender to reach double figures. Saint Peter’s continued to fight and cut the deficit to seven with 1:26 left in the game. Pascarelli hit a dagger three-pointer out of a Marist timeout to seal the win. The home crowd gave a standing ovation as the Red Foxes ran out the clock.
“It felt great, I haven’t thrown a lob to anyone yet in practice. So, doing that on the fly was pretty fun,” said Pascarelli.
Marist is now 5-0 when four players score in double figures; today, Pascarelli and Cooley each had 11 points while Collins and Price each finished with 10. Collins chipped in a career-high nine rebounds and Pascarelli distributed a career-high seven assists.
“I told [Collins and Pascarelli] to stay focused, stay poised. They don’t play like freshman they are in a good headspace. Those are two good players,” said Cooley.
Marist begins a two-game road trip starting with local rival Siena College on Thursday, February 8. Tipoff at MVP Arena is set for 7 p.m.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Graphic by Cara Lacey; Photo via Luke Sassa
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