Marist men’s basketball imposed their defensive prowess inside a raucous McCann Arena on a high-flying Fairfield offense, holding the Stags to 28 percent shooting in a tight 58-55 victory.
The Red Foxes (16-10, 11-6 MAAC) outscored Fairfield (18-11, 12-6 MAAC) 36-26 in the second half after trailing by as many as 13 in the first half, converting 48 percent of their field goals in the second frame. Freshman guard Josh Pascarelli scored 13 to lead the way in a defensive affair where both teams committed more turnovers than assists.
“I’m happy for the guys in the locker room, but it makes it even more special with the crowd that we had. We don’t want to disappoint them, and we pulled it out,” said Marist head coach John Dunne.
With 2,301 fans in attendance and the game broadcast on ESPNU, Marist displayed their ability to play with the top competition in the MAAC conference in a primetime matchup.
The Stags are 7-2 since Feb. 1 and have won three straight. Fairfield features the most lethal offense in the MAAC and ranks 10th in the country in three-point shooting.
Marist has won five of their last six, with the lone loss coming to St. Peter’s last Sunday. The Red Foxes boast a top-five scoring defense in the country.
After missing the last game due to injury, sophomore center Max Allen II scored four points in three minutes off the bench to give Marist a slim lead early.
Max Allen II after the 58-55 victory over Fairfield
Both teams struggled on offense for much of the first half. Marist did not surpass 10 points until the 9:15 mark of the first half and Fairfield started 3-19 from the field.
“We had a little bit of jitters to start the game, I don’t think we had a clear headspace,” said Dunne.
Following the Red Foxes’ eighth turnover, Stags graduate student guard Caleb Fields knocked in a three-pointer in transition, forcing a Marist timeout as they trailed 18-13 with 5:49 left in the first half.
The 16-3 Stags run gave Fairfield separation with their defense leading the way. The one-through-five switching caused problems for Marist and forced numerous live ball turnovers; another Fields’ three-pointer opened a double-digit lead with 2:32 remaining in the first half.
Pascarelli hit the Red Foxes’ first three-pointer after Marist missed their first seven from behind the arc. Sophomore forward Jaden Daughtry followed with a corner pop to cut the deficit to seven at halftime.
“The last few minutes of the first half, we kind of picked it up and started playing more Marist basketball,” said Allen II. “Started getting more stops and started getting a better flow.”
Fairfield shot 29 percent from the floor but led by seven to finish the first stanza. Fields led all scorers at the half with eight points and added seven rebounds.
“I thought the way we were defending, we were going to have a chance to win. If we just got rid of some of those jitters we were going to be okay,” said Dunne.
To open the second half, Marist cut the lead to one with several inside scores, but several loose balls fell the Stags’ way and Fields drained his fourth three to silence the crowd.
The Red Foxes tied the game at 37 with a slam by sophomore guard Isaiah Brickner but Stags guard Jalen Leach responded with a three-pointer as both teams got hot on offense.
Isaiah Brickner dunk in the second half
Daughtry nailed his second three-pointer to give the Red Foxes their first lead since early in the first half. The crowd gave an ovation at the ensuing media timeout as Marist led 46-43.
Fairfield switched to a zone look to slow the Marist offense and cut the deficit to three after the Red Foxes had previously pushed it to eight.
Marist graduate student Javon Cooley scored inside ahead of the under-four-minute media timeout and completed the three-point play after the timeout. Redshirt senior guard Brycen Goodine nailed a transition three-pointer to reduce the Red Foxes’ momentum.
With under a minute remaining, Allen II reached 12 points with two free throws to push the lead to five. Stags senior forward Louis Bleechmore kept the game at one possession, hitting two free throws with 40 seconds left.
Freshman guard Jadin Collins missed the front end of a one-and-one, leaving Fairfield had a chance to tie the game with 23 seconds remaining.
Fields missed a jumper, but Goodine skyed for the Stags’ 15th offensive rebound, and interim head coach Chris Casey used another timeout with 13 seconds left.
The Red Foxes locked down on the final possession as Fields’ shot fell short and Marist completed the comeback, making a statement win.
This is the third game this season where the Red Foxes overcame a double-digit deficit, a testament to the poise of this young team. Fairfield shot 28 percent from three in one of their worst offensive outing of the season.
“Last game they shot lights out from three. We decided to sit on their strong hand and force them into taking bad shots. If they are going to shoot threes, they are going to be tough threes,” said Pascarelli.
The Stags scored 82 against Marist on Jan. 7 in a 21-point win but were unable to replicate the offensive success tonight.
“We’re just a completely different team than when we played there. We just weren’t good on either side of the ball. We’re playing with a high level of intensity and making multiple efforts on the defensive end,” said Dunne.
Fields finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Leach followed with 13 but only on 3-9 shooting, where Daughtry stuffed two of his attempts.
“I had to eliminate Leach because he’s a good scorer. I had to shut him down and let my teammates handle the rest,” said Daughtry.
The Red Foxes finish the weekend with a home matchup against Iona on Sunday, Mar. 3. Tipoff at McCann Arena is set for 2 p.m.
Edited by: Aidan Lavin
Graphic and Photo Credit: Jaylen Rizzo
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