ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Marist men’s basketball scored 41 points in the second half to overcome a 15-point second-half deficit to defeat Niagara for the second time in five days, 65-59. The Red Foxes extended their stay in Atlantic City by holding Niagara to 36% shooting in the second half.
Freshman guard Jadin Collins set a career-high with 20 points, adding four assists and five steals to lead the comeback. Graduate student forward Javon Cooley added 14 points to send the Red Foxes to the MAAC Conference tournament semi-finals.
“I thought we were a little bit nervous, a little bit ‘deer in headlights’ to start,” said Marist head coach John Dunne. “We talked at halftime about inching our way back in and not playing hero ball.”
Niagara (16-16, 11-9 MAAC) advanced to the quarterfinals after a victory over Siena late Tuesday night. These two teams faced off just five days ago with Marist (18-12, 12-8 MAAC) pulling out a 63-62 win on senior day. That game pushed the Red Foxes to the No. 3 seed and a double-bye, putting Niagara in the No. 6 slot.
The Purple Eagles started red hot with perfect shooting from the field and an early 11-2 lead; Niagara did not miss a shot until the 12:38 mark of the first half.
Sophomore center Max Allen II hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to five with seven minutes remaining in the first half. The Red Foxes started to string together stops and scored four of their last five shot attempts.
A three-minute scoring drought by Marist allowed Niagara to grow their lead to double-digits with 3:48 left in the first half. Marist committed their seventh turnover as they struggled to handle the Purple Eagles’ ball pressure.
Niagara finished the half with a double-digit lead 36-24. The Purple Eagles doubled Marist in paint points and shot 56% from the field. Sophomore forward Harlan Obioha led Niagara with eight points and two Purple Eagles followed with seven.
Collins and junior forward Jackson Price both scored six points for Marist, who dug themselves into a hole in the opening 20 minutes.
Cooley brought the energy to begin the second half with a putback slam, shrinking the deficit to single digits. The Chicago native then nailed a three-pointer to bring the Red Foxes within four.
“We stayed together. We have had ups and downs throughout the season, but we stayed resilient, kept fighting and were able to get the win,” said Cooley.
Niagara graduate guard Kwane Marble Jr. responded with a three-pointer to score the Purple Eagles’ first eight points of the second half. Niagara turned the ball over on several possessions and Marist brought the deficit down to two points with a Price slam to cap a 7-0 run. Allen II tied the game at 47 with a free throw, and Collins gave Marist their first lead of the evening with his 14th point.
“It’s definitely a big key to drive and look for my teammates first. If I got a shot, I take it,” said Collins.
The phenom guard took over the game with 10 straight Marist points, attacking in transition and finishing acrobatic layups. A pull-up jumper by Collins forced a Niagara timeout as they trailed by four with 2:14 left in the game. The New Jersey native showed out in his home state with his best game of the season.
“It feels good to be back in Jersey. I brought the village with me,” said Collins.
After an Obioha steal, Niagara failed to convert on the break; Niagara’s big man fouled out with a minute remaining. Allen II converted both free throws to extend the lead to five.
Marble Jr. scored on the other end, but Red Foxes’ senior guard Kam Farris hit two more free throws with 36 seconds left. Senior guard Luke Bumbalough hit a three on the ensuing possession to cut the deficit to two, but Cooley calmly sank two free throws.
“We thought if we could get some buckets and a few stops, then fatigue would kick in since they played two nights ago. We took advantage of that,” said Dunne.
Collins recorded his fifth steal with 18 seconds left to go to seal the game. The Red Foxes turned it around in the second stanza to advance to the MAAC semi-finals.
“Jadin [Collins] is a top-five freshman in this league, 100%. Sometimes the stats don’t show it but he’s a winner,” said Dunne. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. He’s probably top five that I’ve ever coached in terms of competitive spirit, and he’s only a freshman.”
Marble Jr. led Niagara with 15 points, 11 of which came in the second half. The Purple Eagles mustered just 23 points in the second half, a similar pattern that led to their loss to Marist on Mar. 9.
The Red Foxes now face No. 2 seed Fairfield in the MAAC tournament semi-finals on Friday, Mar. 15. Tipoff at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall is set for 9 p.m.
Edited by Jimmy Tsiantoulas and Ben Leeds
Photo and graphic from Jaylen Rizzo
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