The Maritime College men's basketball team was looking to get back on track Tuesday night against John Jay College, but fell short in a physical game 64-80. The Privateers drop to 1-5 overall on the season, while the Bloodhounds improve to 3-1.

John Jay started out hot as they drained their first three shots of the game and took an early 7-2 lead on Maritime. A timeout by coach Mike Berkun refocused the team and a Damon Brown (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) three-pointer cut the advantage to 12-9 through the first five minutes of the game. The fast paced play continued throughout the half and the Privateers struggled to come up with the timely buckets that they needed to close the gap. 

With the lead at 30-24 and seven minutes remaining, Maritime got three good looks from behind the arc to cut it to a one-score game, but they couldn't find the bottom of the net. Following nearly three minutes of scoreless play, the Bloodhounds struck first and carried that momentum into halftime as the finished the opening frame with a 43-31 advantage.

The Privateers came out of the half hoping to mount a comeback as Michael Walker (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) drained a three from the wing to open up the scoring. Unfortunatley, John Jay had the answer and was able to put the lead back into double digits. 

Brendan McGovern (Seaford, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) caught fire for Maritime with 12 minutes remaining as he knocked in back-to-back threes to cut the lead to 10. However, the ball started to bounce in the Bloodhounds favor as they came up with a few key long rebounds and they were able to make the Privateers pay. 

Physical defense from both teams continued throughout the half with constant full court pressure, and the Bloodhounds finished with a slight advantage in fast break points, outscoring Maritime 22-16 in that category. The Privateers defense did come up with 23 forced turnovers in the game, but they were only able to turn that into 19 points as their second half comeback attempt fell short.

McGovern led Maritime in scoring with 21 points, while Walker added 14 of his own. Mike Regan (Dix Hills, N.Y./St. Anthony's) and Brennan Whelan (Northport, N.Y./Northport) reached double digits as well with 11 and 10, respectively. Damon Brown (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) chipped in six points and four rebounds, as well as a pair of big blocks in the paint.

"We missed a few opportunities throughout the game to cut their lead, but John Jay is a talented team and they made us pay when we made mistakes," said Berkun. "We know what we need to improve on and the team is ready to get back in the gym tomorrow and start working towards Farmingdale."

The Privateers head on the road this weekend as they take on Farmingdale St. on Saturday at 12 p.m. Their final home matchup of the semester will be Thursday, Dec. 6 as they host their "Lace it Up" game against SUNY Old Westbury. Maritime will be accepting donations to support the fight against pediatric cancer and the "Go 4 the Goal" foundation. To learn more, CLICK HERE.