Marist men’s basketball trailed for 35 minutes and 29 seconds against New Hampshire as both teams could not buy a bucket for most of the game. The Red Foxes (4-1) pulled out a win with clutch shot-making and key free throws to win their fourth straight 54-49.
Junior guard Elijah Lewis and sophomore guard Josh Pascarelli were Marist’s lone double-digit scorers with 14 each. The Red Foxes held New Hampshire (2-7) to 32% shooting, allowing their lowest opponent point total on the season. UNH’s leading scorer junior guard Anthony McComb III was held to 1-9 shooting and four points.
“Clearly wasn’t our best night, sloppy type of game. It just comes down to how bad do you want to win,” said Marist head coach John Dunne.
A 9-0 Marist run late in the second half gave them their first lead with 2:57 left. From there, they held on despite the offensive struggles. To lead the defense, junior forward Jaden Daughtry recorded a career-high four blocks and added nine points, five rebounds, and two assists.
“I feel like the way I came in translated on defense [to my teammates]. For that last shot, I saw Josh wide open so I had to pass it to him,” said Daughtry.
New Hampshire had yet to beat a Division I opponent, only recording wins against two Division III programs. According to Kenpom, the Wildcats are rated as the ninth-worst team in the country.
The Wildcats played well above that ranking in the early going, shooting 4-5 from the field in the first four minutes while forcing two Marist shot clock violations. Freshman guard Khalil Badru, entering the starting lineup for junior guard Sam Pissis, scored five points to begin the game.
Marist did not make a three-pointer for the first 12 minutes until Pascarelli came off a flare screen. A 7-0 Red Foxes run cut the deficit to one at the under-eight timeout. Marist made shots at a good clip (53%) but had six turnovers and missed all four of their early free throw attempts.
New Hampshire executed its offense methodically while maintaining their lead through aggressive ball pressure defensively, forcing Marist into 11 first-half turnovers. A three-minute scoring drought at the end of the half also prevented Marist from taking any lead, trailing 24-22 through the first 20 minutes of play.
“I think there were openings for us in the first half, we weren’t making the right decisions. When you have guys open, you got to see it. That’s from fifth grade through the NBA. I thought we were playing soft,” said Dunne.
Marist forced turnovers too with more aggressive coverage on ball screens. Rather than drop coverage, Dunne called for some hedges and soft traps to force UNH to pick up their dribble or attempt a cross-court pass. That kept them in the game while mustering just 22 points in the first half.
Both teams began the second half shooting 25% or worse from the field through the under-12 timeout; the McCann crowd was nervously waiting for Marist to make its run.
With 6:54 left in the game, that run had yet to show signs of developing. A three-pointer from sophomore forward Davide Poser gave UNH a five-point lead. Every time Marist had a chance to take the lead, their shot clanged off the rim.
“They were extremely aggressive, their ball pressure was very good. We weren’t getting by them enough. It’s hard to run sets when the ball pressure is so intense,” said Dunne.
Lewis scored six of Marist’s first 10 points in the second half but Poser again extended the lead to six with a corner three-pointer. The Red Foxes took much better care of the ball, but the extra possessions did not result in points.
Marist took their first lead of the game with a three-pointer from senior forward Jackson Price, his first field goal of the game. Pascarelli followed with two free throws to extend the Red Foxes’ lead to three.
Both teams traded free throws before Pascarelli nailed a three-pointer from the wing with 51 seconds left. Freshman center Caleb Middleton came up with an and-one putback since UNH starting center Emmanual Okpomo fouled out.
Sophomore guard Jadin Collins-Roberts hit two more free throws to give Marist a 52-49 lead with 31 seconds left. Marist relied on their defense in the final moments to get a stop when they needed it most. Lewis iced the game with more free throws to secure the Red Foxes’ fourth straight win. He added six rebounds and two steals, grabbing a key rebound to draw a foul.
“You always got to hit those, they are free. My shot fell a little bit better today. Coach was talking about 50-50 balls and it was our time to get those,” said Lewis.
Marist has displayed the ability to win different types of games, which is important moving forward. The Red Foxes’ defense has also come to life as of late, something they can rely on if shots are not falling on a certain night.
The Red Foxes get some time off before heading on the road after Thanksgiving to face Lehigh University on Saturday, Nov. 30. Tipoff at Stabler Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Edited by: Aidan Lavin
Photo/Graphic Credit: Jaylen Rizzo
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