THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime Basketball team fell behind early in Monday evening's contest at home against the Yeshiva Maccabees, but the Privateer rally throughout the remainder of the contest fell just short as Yeshiva hung on for the 77-73 victory from the Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium.
 
The Privateers fell behind by a 24-4 mark with 12:26 left in the opening half, but through the remainder of the contest outscored their guests by a 69-53 margin. The late surge was not enough, as the Privateers used a strong inside game and clutch shooting to make the game entertaining for one of the largest crowds in recent history.
 
Leading the way for Maritime was sophomore Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius), who recorded his career-high in points with 22 on the evening. Classmate John Liccese (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) also had a career-best with 10 assists on the night to go along with 14 points and three steals.
 
Junior Isaiah Hayes (Jamaica, N.Y./Queens Teaching) contributed with a double-double as he recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Brendon Halligan (Durham, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) also chipped in with double-figures as he finished the contest with 10 points and three steals.
 
Freshman Michael Walker (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) added eight points off the bench, while junior Tim Hoch (Coventry, R.I./Fishers Island (N.Y.)) collected three points and pulled down five boards. Sophomore Tim McQuail (Middle Village, N.Y./Cathedral Prep) connected on his lone field goal attempt of the night, while classmate Akil Spruill (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) registered three rebounds.
 
After falling behind by 20 in the opening 7:34, Liccese found Hayes on an in-bounds play to tip the ball into the hoop to start the team back on its uphill battle. After another Yeshiva make, Halligan knocked down a three-pointer off another Liccese pass.
 
MacDonald stole a botched in-bounds attempt by the Maccabees and threw down an emphatic dunk to ignite the crowd. Yeshiva responded with a jumper, but MacDonald then made a layup, followed by a three-point basket by Halligan and another layup by MacDonald to pull Maritime back within 12 at 30-18 with 7:29 to go in the half.
 
After a Maccabee jumper gave Yeshiva a 34-20 lead, Liccese then dialed it up from long range for a three-point basket followed by an offensive, and then defensive foul by Yeshiva to send Walker to the line. The rookie converted on both shots and pulled the Privateers back within single-digits at 34-25.
 
Liccese then dropped a fast break layup after a defensive board by MacDonald, to make it a seven-point game. However, Yeshiva ended the period outscoring Maritime by five to take a 43-31 lead into the halftime intermission.
 
After the break, Yeshiva opened the scoring with a pair of layups followed by a MacDonald jump shot. Yeshiva scored another basket on a layup, but Hoch responded with a three after an offensive board by MacDonald. The Maccabees ballooned their lead back up to 20 at 56-36 with 15:04 left in the half, but the Privateers refused to let the lead get any larger.
 
Hayes knocked down a layup followed by a MacDonald layup. Halligan then pulled down a defensive board, which led to a Walker layup. After a miscue by Yeshiva gave the ball back to Maritime, Hayes converted a jump shot, and again made his second straight jumper off his own defensive rebound. Halligan then stole the ball and sprinted down the court for yet another layup as the Privateers were back within eight at 56-48.
 
MacDonald made the next basket to make it a six-point game, but the raucous crowd was silenced momentarily by a Maccabee three-pointer. Hayes then answered with the next two jump shots to make the score 59-54 with 9:11 left in regulation.
 
Later in the game with Maritime still trailing by five, Yeshiva went up by seven after a pair of free throws. Then Liccese stepped back for a three-pointer to pull the Privateers back within four. Liccese then added one of two from the line to make it a one-possession game for the first time since early in the first half with 5:11 remaining.
 
Maritime was only able to get the deficit down to three points on two more occasions throughout the remainder of regulation. Yeshiva converted on three late free throws to keep Maritime at just enough distance to hang on for the victory at 77-73.
 
Maritime (5-15, 5-10 Skyline) will make its longest road-trip of the season on Saturday, when the team returns to action at 3 p.m. from the Kahl Gym in New York's Capital City.
 
Yeshiva (10-7, 8-4 Skyline) will continue its brief two-game road-trip with a 6:30 p.m. start on Wednesday evening against Mount St. Vincent in Riverdale, N.Y.