THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime basketball team begins its season this evening, when the Privateers play host to the Lehman Lightning. The team returns an overwhelming majority of its team last year, with all five starters back for the Privateers from a season ago.
 
Thirteen members from last season's team are back for the 2016-17 edition of the team, which will be led by head coach Frank McQuail as he assumes the head role after two seasons as an assistant with the program.

Leading the cast of returners are senior starters Brendon Halligan (Durham, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) and Tim Hoch (Coventry, R.I./Fishers Island (N.Y.)), as well as junior starters Isaiah Hayes (Jamaica, N.Y./Queens Teaching), Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius), and John Liccese (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman).
 
Last season, MacDonald became Maritime's first All-Conference selection in several years as he earned first team accolades following the conclusion of the regular season. MacDonald led the team in scoring as he averaged 16 points per game, while pulling down 10.1 rebounds per contest as he was one of just two players to start in every game a year ago.
 
The other returner to start in every game during 2015-16 was Liccese, who was second on the team with an average of 14.5 points per game, while he also led the team with 128 assists as a sophomore. Liccese finished second on the team with 46 three-point baskets last year while also pulling down 113 rebounds last season.
 
Frontcourt
While MacDonald leads the charge up front, he is joined by Hayes who was third on the team as he averaged 12.2 points per game last season. He was second on the team in rebounding as he had 138 offensive rebounds and added 194 defensive boards. Hayes was the top shot blocker for the Privateers last season with 47 in his second season with the team.
 
Senior Bobby Parlow (Bay Head, N.J./Point Pleasant Beach) is back for his senior season with the team after missing his junior season due to injury, in his first two seasons with the team Parlow played key minutes for the team and recorded 169 points in 50 career games. His biggest input came on the glass as he ripped down 149 rebounds and added 60 blocks in his two years.
 
Junior Kevin Blessington (Lynbrook, N.Y./East Rockaway) has only seen action in 19 career games after playing in just seven as a sophomore. He has 28 career rebounds and 30 points in his career, averaging eight minutes per game.

Freshman Husene Camara (Bronx, N.Y./Frederick Douglas) will give the Privateers an added layer of depth as he can play both guard and forward for Maritime and looks to make an impact in his first year with the team.
 
Backcourt
Liccese led the team with 910 minutes on the court last season with fellow guards Halligan and Hoch also seeing big minutes.
 
With exactly 600 points in his career in three season with the team, Halligan will look to finish off his career with a playoff run for the Privateers. Halligan has been a regular the lone regular in the starting five each of the last three seasons, as he averages 26 minutes per game including a season-best 30.9 minutes per game as a junior.
 
Hoch started 23 of the team's 25 games last season, serving as a key cog on the defensive side of the ball. Hoch turned his game up to a new level later in the season and finished off his junior season with 167 points, including 26 three-pointers as he connected on 40% of his shots from beyond the arc.He also added 39 assists and 22 steals last year.
 
Sophomore Michael Walker (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) was the team's sixth man last season and played in all but two games as a rookie. During his first year with the team, Walker connected on 40 field goals, with more than half of those coming from beyond the arc en route to his 139 points.
 
Junior Akil Spruill (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) will see minutes off the bench again after seeing time in 19 contests and picking up 71 points on the year. Spruill also added 16 assists and nine steals in his first season with the team. Classmate Tim McQuail (Middle Village, N.Y./Cathedral Prep) appeared in 14 games and made three starts as a sophomore and added 19 rebounds to go along with his 21 points.
 
Senior Liam Ryan (Buffalo, N.Y./Nichols) is back for his final season with the team after appearing in 53 career contests entering play this year with 109 total points. Junior Josh Raime (Elmont, N.Y./Holy Cross) added three points of the bench last season in five games and will look for added minutes in his upperclassmen seasons. Sophomore James Bonner (Timonium, Md./Dulaney) added five points of his own in seven games as he drained a three-pointer and was 2-for-2 at the charity stripe.
 
Looking to make an impact in their first seasons with the team are junior transfer Marvin Gueye (Jackson Heights, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy), and freshmen Malik Clark (Central Islip, N.Y./Central Islip) and Brendan McGovern (Seaford, N.Y./St. John the Baptist). All three bring strong basketball backgrounds to the team this year after successful careers at the high school level.
 
Schedule
Tonight the Privateers open the season with a non-conference matchup with the Lehman Lightning at 7 p.m. inside Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium. The team will take part in the Max Ziel Tournament in Oswego, N.Y. this weekend, which will pit the Privateers against one of the top teams in the nation with host Oswego on Friday night.
 
After a trip to Vassar on November 22, the Privateers return from the Thanksgiving break with a Sunday matinee vs. Mitchell on November 27. Conference play opens with Purchase on the road on December 1, before the Privateers welcome Merchant Marine for their first conference meeting in 2016-17. A trip to Yeshiva on December 8 closes out conference play in 2016.
 
Maritime will be taking part in a tournament at Maine Maritime on December 30-31, as the Privateers will matchup against the host Mariners and will also take on Maine-Presque Isle the following day.

As the calendar flips to 2017, the Privateers will play home conference matchups against Mount St. Mary on January 7, Old Westbury on January 14. The Privateers play non-conference New Rochelle on January 17, and Hunter on January 23 before returning to league action.
 
The final home games of the season will feature the Privateers taking on Mount St. Vincent on January 25, St. Joseph's (Bklyn) on January 28, Purchase on February 8, Sarah Lawrence on February 14, before wrapping up the season with Sage on February 18.
 
The Skyline Conference Championship takes place with first round matchups on February 21, semifinals on February 23, and the finals on February 25. The winner of the tournament will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.
 
Live High Definition Streaming
For the first time ever, Maritime men's basketball home games will be available to be streamed online. For viewers, there will be two options to watch the Privateers this season. The first option is purchasing each individual game separately at a cost of $5.95 per game; the second option is to purchase a season pass which will include all 12 home games for a cost of $59.99 for the season, a savings of over 15%.
 
Fans can purchase their season pass at BoxCast.tv; and will have a unique username and password to access all 12 of the Privateers' games inside Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium. The BoxCast.tv link will be permanently affixed at the top of the Maritime 2016-17 Schedule Page.
 
Fans looking to view and purchase just one game will have the ability to do so by clicking the 'Video' link on each individual game of the 2016-17 Schedule page.