THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – Despite opening up the contest with a 21-2 run, the Maritime basketball team let the Skyline Conference contest slip away to an eventual overtime loss against the College of Mount St. Vincent Dolphins on Friday evening at Riesenberg Gymnasium.

On a .600 field goal shooting effort that included two three-pointers, Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) once again led the Privateers in scoring, sinking a season-high 29 points. The performance was just one point shy of his career-high 30 that was set on February 13, 2016 at Mount St. Mary. MacDonald also hauled in 18 rebounds and added three blocks and is now four blocks shy of tying the Privateer record for blocks in a single season (49).  

Now just 19 points shy of 1,000 career points, John Liccese (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) also had a solid night for the Privateers, netting points on a .471 performance from the field. The junior also made four of his seven three-point attempts for a .571 shooting percentage behind the arc, while also snagging a season-high six steals. Tim Hoch (Coventry, R.I./Fishers Island (N.Y.)) rounded out the top three scorers, chipping in 20 points along with 5 rebounds.

The Privateers burst onto the scene and shot red-hot from behind the three-point line right from opening tip, as Liccese, Hoch, and Brendon Halligan (Durham, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) strung together four straight three-point dimes to jump on the Dolphins early. Halligan added another two-point bucket before Kahlil Shorter ended the 16-0 run, but once again Liccese struck with another three-ball, his third out of three attempts during the opening five-and-a-half minute stretch. Shortly after, a Shorter foul sent Hoch to the stripe where he nailed both free throws, giving the Privateers a 19-point lead, eventually the largest Privateer lead of the contest.

Mount St. Vincent connected on two straight jumpers before Akil Spruill (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) capitalized on a three-point play, but the Dolphins used a 7-1 run to cut into the Privateer lead. The Dolphins heated up with five minutes remaining in the first half, hitting four three-pointers in nearly five minutes. A 6-0 Dolphin run brought Mount St. Vincent within one point of the Privateers with 27 seconds remaining in the first half, but with one second remaining, Hoch delivered a free throw to give the Privateers a two-point lead at the end of the first stanza.

Mount St. Vincent's Austin Mick opened up the second half scoring, knotting the game up at 41 for the first tie of the contest. At the 14 minute mark, Mount St. Vincent saw their first lead of the game with a Jason Barrera layup, but Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) answered with a three-point basket to extend the Privateer lead back to two. With 11:11 left in regulation, the game saw its sixth tie at 58 points apiece, but the lead continued to seesaw back and forth, as no team led by more than three points for over three minutes. Maritime reclaimed a substantial seven point lead with a Brendan McGovern (Seaford, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) layup before the Dolphins erased the lead with a 9-0 run, but the Privateers and Dolphins found themselves all tied up once again at 73 and again at 77 with 40 ticks remaining in the second half.

Liccese charged into the paint and drained the go-ahead jumper with 2.9 seconds on the clock to make the score 79-77, but a costly foul committed by MacDonald was called with the Dolphins shooting one and one. Shorter went on to put both free throws through the net, sending the game into overtime 79-79 for the tenth and final tie of the matchup.

Overtime was all Mount St. Vincent, as the Dolphins jumped out with four straight points straight into the extra period. Liccese was able to hit another jumper to cut into the one-point Dolphin lead, but from there, the Dolphins used free throw shooting to pull away from the Privateers, sinking 13 of their 16 overtime free throw attempts.

With the loss, the Privateers fall to 10-14 overall and 5-10 in the Skyline Conference. Unable to clinch a playoff spot, Maritime will see its season come to an end tomorrow on Senior Day at Riesenberg Gym for a Skyline matchup against Sage. For fans unable to make it to the game, live stats and video will be available at MaritimeAthletics.com. Tip-off is set for 2:00 P.M.

Mount St. Vincent will also see their season finale tomorrow on the road at St. Joseph's (Bklyn) for a 4:00 P.M. Skyline Conference matchup.