KINGS POINT, NY – The Maritime College men's basketball team resumed its Skyline Conference schedule with a matchup at Merchant Marine on Wednesday night. The Privateers (3-6, 0-3 Skyline) held a two-point halftime lead, but ultimately came up short, as the Mariners (4-5, 1-1 Skyline) posted a 65-56 victory at Liebertz Gymnasium.
After Merchant Marine built a 17-10 lead, Maritime responded with five straight points to pull within two. The Mariners pushed the margin back to six points at 21-15 before a
Mike Regan (Dix Hills, NY) trey started a 7-0 run that gave the Privateers a 22-21 advantage.
Jaylin Gray (Brooklyn, NY) then hit a layup at the 45-second mark to put Maritime ahead 26-24 at intermission.
It was tied at 34-34 early in the second half when Merchant Marine went on a 13-7 run to open up a 47-41 margin. After the Privateers rallied back within one at 47-46, the Privateers scored seven of the next nine points to increase their cushion to 54-48 with 4:52 remaining. Maritime got back within three, 58-55, on
Theo Noble's (Bronx, NY) layup with 1:47 left, but would pull no closer, as Merchant Marine made five straight free throws down the stretch to close out a 65-56 win.
Noble
paced the Privateers with 15 points, while Gray
added 14 points and four assists. Regan
contributed 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, and
Griffin McNally (Huntington Station, NY) pulled down a team-high seven boards. As a team, Maritime shot 40 percent (22-of-55) from the floor, 24 percent (6-of-25) from long range, and 60 percent (6-of-10) at the free throw line.
For Merchant Marine, Josh Kauffman and Dante Spina led the way with 12 points apiece. Kauffman also grabbed seven rebounds. Blaine McDonough, meanwhile, had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. The Mariners shot 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the field, 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from downtown, and 66.7 percent (14-of-21) at the charity stripe.
On Saturday, the Privateers return home for a 1 p.m. matchup with Purchase (0-8, 0-1 Skyline). As a reminder, fans will not be permitted to attend, but will be able to watch the game live on the Maritime Athletics You Tube channel.
