THROGGS NECK, NY – On Monday night, the Maritime College men's basketball team welcomed Purchase to Riesenberg Gymnasium. The Privateers (3-7, 0-4 Skyline) rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to tie the score with 5:26 remaining, but the Panthers (1-8, 1-1 Skyline) made 12 straight free throws down the stretch to notch an 83-75 victory.
After the teams traded early baskets, Purchase went on a 14-6 run to open up a 23-15 cushion midway through the first half.
Jaylin Gray (Brooklyn, NY) responded with seven straight points, though, to pull the Privateers within one, 23-22. Purchase countered with a 7-0 rally of its own to push the margin back to eight, and the Panthers held a 41-34 advantage at intermission.
Purchase extended its lead to a game-high 11 points at 56-45 with 14:15 remaining before
Sean Flynn (Flushing, NY) hit a jumper to begin Maritime's comeback. A
Robbie Mitchell (Richmond, NY) layup made it a one-point game, 57-56, at the 10:11 mark.
The Privateers eventually tied the score at 65-65 on an
Alec Downes (Seaford, NY) layup with 5:26 left. However, Purchase scored 12 of the next 16 points to regain an eight-point edge. A Downes trey brought Maritime back within four at 79-75, but would pull no closer, as the Panthers closed out their 83-75 victory at the free throw line.
With Maritime missing three starters, Gray
played a season-high 39 minutes and finished with 25 points. He also had six rebounds and six assists.
Theo Noble (Bronx, NY) added 10 points and seven boards, while Downes
contributed 10 points of his own.
Griffin McNally (Huntington Station, NY) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to go along with seven points. As a team, the Privateers shot 45 percent (27-of-60) from the field, 33.3 percent (6-of-18) from three-point range, and 68.2 percent (15-of-22) at the charity stripe.
Malcolm Hansford-Whyte led four Panthers in double figures with 19 points while also grabbing seven rebounds. Terrence Mason had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Justin Mason registered 11 points. Jordan Knochen, meanwhile, posted 16 points, five boards, five assists and three steals. Matthew Phillips pulled down 10 rebounds for Purchase, which held a 42-31 edge on the glass. The Panthers shot 46.2 percent (30-of-65) from the floor, 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from downtown, and 85.7 percent (18-of-21) at the foul line.
Maritime returns to action on Wednesday, when Mount St. Mary (3-6, 1-0 Skyline) visits Riesenberg Gymnasium at 7 p.m. As a reminder, home games are currently being played without spectators, although fans can still watch the contest on the Maritime Athletics YouTube channel.
