Marist men’s basketball completed their first season sweep of Siena since 2007 with a dominant win over the Saints 67-51. The Red Foxes led the game for all but 21 seconds, limiting the Saints to 30 percent shooting from the field. Senior guard Kam Farris and freshman guard Josh Pascarelli each scored 11 points for Marist.
The Red Foxes (12-9, 7-5 MAAC) led by as many as 28 points and forced 15 Saints turnovers, quieting a MAAC leading average crowd at MVP Arena.
“It’s been a while since we’ve won the first game of the weekend. I thought we were locked in with the energy level and game plan discipline. Super proud of the defensive effort,” said head coach John Dunne.
The Saints (3-20, 2-10 MAAC) have lost six straight and 14 of their last 15 games, ranking as the fifth-worst team in the country according to Kenpom.com. The Red Foxes have stabilized, winning three of their last five, but have not strung together two straight wins since Dec. 18.
A key starter for Marist, sophomore forward Jaden Daughtry, missed his first game of the season and sophomore forward Trace Salton made his first start of the season as a result of Daughtry’s absence.
Both teams struggled to score early but an 8-0 Marist run yielded a 12-5 lead with 11:10 left in the first half. Siena, the most turnover-prone team in the MAAC, racked up six turnovers early.
Junior guard Sean Durugordon knocked in a three-pointer to end a three-minute Saints scoring drought and kickstarted a 7-0 Siena run to close the deficit to one. Freshman guard Josh Pascarelli responded with the Red Foxes’ first three-pointer.
Following a 12-4 run, Marist opened a double-digit lead in the last three minutes of the half capped by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Pascarelli, his third make from behind the arc and the only Marist player to hit from deep in the first frame.
“A lot of people have been making a big deal that [Josh] hasn’t shot it as well on the road. I thought he had a different look in his eye tonight, I thought we all did. When Josh is locked in he’s one of the best shooters in the league,” said Dunne.
The Red Foxes led Siena 36-24 at the half with efficient offense, shooting 50 percent from the field and limiting Siena to the same number of made baskets as turnovers with nine. Marist worked an advantage on the glass with graduate student forward Javon Cooley grabbing five boards while tallying six points.
Durugordon had 11 points on four made field goals while the rest of the Saints combined for five. Sophomore center Max Allen II played just five minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, but the Red Foxes’ 12 bench points helped fill the scoring hole with Allen II out.
The Red Foxes began the second half much like the first; efficient offense and stifling defense. Siena did not score until sophomore forward Giovanni Emejuru made one free throw at the 16:48 mark. Graduate student guard Isaiah Sulack nailed a three-pointer in transition to put Marist up 20.
The Saints looked lost on offense evidenced by three shot-clock violations and rarely found a high-quality shot. The Siena fans made little noise throughout the game, a testament to Marist setting the tone and preventing the Saints from creating any significant momentum.
Farris laced a deep three-pointer to push Marist’s lead to 26. Through nine minutes of second-half play, the Red Foxes had more three-pointers (4) than Siena made baskets (1). Preseason All-MAAC second-team sophomore guard Michael Eley was held to 2-10 shooting.
“They have two good scorers, we wanted to make it difficult for them to score. We did a good job of it and were locked in defensively,” said Dunne.
Siena scored 15 of their 27 second-half points after the game was lost in the final four minutes. Durugordon was the only Siena player in double figures with 16 points and nine rebounds. Marist moved to 12-1 when recording more assists than their opponent. Freshman guard Jadin Collins turned in a utility performance with nine points, six rebounds, and four assists.
The Red Foxes scored 28 bench points, with Sulack scoring seven points and junior forward Jackson Price adding eight.
“It’s been a long road back, [Isaiah Sulack] has been working hard. Little by little, hopefully, he continues to get his legs under him. I thought he looked good on the offensive end,” said Dunne.
Marist continues their road trip with their second season matchup against Rider on Saturday, Feb. 10. Tipoff at Alumni Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m.
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Edited by: Aidan Lavin
Graphic: Ben Monrad