THROGGS NECK, NY – The Maritime College men's basketball team had the ball with nine seconds left and a chance to tie or win on Sunday afternoon. However,
Jake Devaney's (Washingtonville, NY) last-second three-pointer was off the mark and Rutgers-Newark (2-4) held on for a 65-63 victory over the Privateers (2-3) at Riesenberg Gymnasium.
An unsuccessful Maritime challenge on a goaltending call gave the Scarlet Raiders a 64-61 advantage with 3:36 remaining. Rutgers-Newark then got a free throw from Will Ndio to increase its lead to four, 65-61.
Zion Williams (Indianapolis, IN) then sank a pair at the line to bring the Privateers within two, 65-63, at the 1:30 mark. The Scarlet Raiders' Raheem Murray missed a jumper with 16 seconds left and
Tyler Anderson (Smithtown, NY) grabbed the rebound for Maritime. The Privateers used their final timeout to set up a play and Devaney had a look for a game-winning three-point attempt. It was short, though, and Manny Rodriguez secured the carom for Rutgers-Newark, securing the Scarlet Raiders' two-point victory.
Devaney finished with 16 points to go along with five rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Williams added 15 points, four boards and five assists.
Sean Kivlan (Floral Park, NY) contributed nine points, while Anderson posted eight points, six rebounds and three assists. As a team, Maritime shot 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the floor, 30 percent (6-of-20) from long range, and 60 percent (9-of-15) at the free throw line.
After the Privateers opened up an early 8-4 lead, Rutgers-Newark scored eight of the next 11 points to go in front, 12-11. Layups by
Evan Block (Seaford, NY) and Williams gave Maritime a 15-12 lead before Nate Pluviose tied it with a trey at the 12:14 mark of the first half. Willaims nailed a three-pointer on the other end, though, to start a 15-9 rally that put the Privateers up by six, 30-24. Maritime took its largest lead of the game, 36-28, on a pair of Devaney free throws with 1:47 remaining until halftime, but the Scarlet Raiders cut that margin to four, 38-34, at the break.
Rutgers-Newark pulled within two, 44-42, before Kivlan had all seven points during a 7-2 run that brought the Privateers' cushion back to seven at 51-44. The Scarlet Raiders responded with a 9-0 spurt, however, to go in front, 53-51. Maritime regained the lead, 59-58, on a Block trey with 6:26 left. Rutgers-Newark immediately countered, though, getting a layup from Manny Rodriguez to take the lead for good.
Ayden Brown had a game-high 25 points for the Scarlet Raiders. He also tallied three steals. Osa Osagie notched 10 points and four assists, while Ndio recorded nine points and four rebounds. Manny Rodriguez and Murray secured four boards apiece, and Steve Rodriguez distributed four assists to go along with four steals. Rutgers-Newark shot a combined 45.3 percent (24-of-53) from the field, 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from downtown, and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) at the charity stripe.
Up next for the Privateers is their second Division I exhibition contest of the season. Maritime visits Yale (7-1) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday for a matchup that will be broadcast on ESPN+.
