THROGGS NECK, NY – After trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half, the Maritime College men's basketball team rallied to take the lead with 6:18 remaining against Farmingdale on Wednesday night.  However, the Rams (12-2, 5-0 Skyline) used a 7-0 rally to go back in front for good enroute to an 82-76 victory over the Privateers (7-7, 3-2 Skyline) at Riesenberg Gymnasium.

Farmingdale held a 45-29 edge at the break, then extended that cushion to 47-29 on Liam Buckley's jumper that opened the second half.  Maritime responded with an 8-0 spurt to cut its deficit to 10 points before the Rams pushed the margin back to 15 at 56-41 with 13:57 left.  Evan Block (Seaford, NY) followed with a layup that started a 24-7 Privateers run, and his trey at the 6:18 mark put Maritime ahead 65-63.

The teams then traded buckets, with Tyler Anderson (Smithtown, NY) sinking a three-pointer that gave the Privateers a 73-72 lead with 3:14 remaining.  Farmingdale regained the advantage on a Buckley layup, and the Rams built a 79-73 cushion with 22 seconds to go.  Zion Williams (Indianapolis, IN) drained a pair of free throws, then Block added another to make it a three-point game, 79-76, but Farmingdale hit three late foul shots to close out the 82-76 win.

Block finished with his first double-double of the season, notching 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Williams, meanwhile, had a team-best 17 points to go along with seven assists.  Jesse Tricario (New Hyde Park, NY) tallied 10 points, and Anderson sank three treys for nine points while adding five assists.  Jake Devaney (Washingtonville, NY) recorded eight points and nine boards, while Matthew O'Sullivan (Rockaway Beach, NY) contributing eight points of his own.  As a team, Maritime shot 46 percent (26-of-63) from the floor, 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from long range, and 80 percent (8-of-10) at the charity stripe.

In the first meeting between the teams since last year's Skyline semifinals, the Privateers came storming out of the gate.  Maritime sank three of its first four shots and had a 7-2 lead just 2:16 into the contest.  However, the Rams scored 11 of the next 15 points to go in front, 13-11.  It was a one-point game, 20-19, with 8:38 left until halftime, but Farmingdale ended the frame on a 25-10 spurt to take a 45-29 cushion into the locker room.

For the Rams, Buckley led the way with a game-high 20 points.  Kentrell Evans posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Michael Notias had 16 points and seven assists.  Sean Conroy also handed out seven assists to go along with nine points, and Jordan Tucker chipped in 10 points off the bench.  Farmingdale shot 47.5 percent (28-of-59) from the field, 44.4 percent (8-of-18) from downtown, and 62.1 percent (18-of-29) at the free throw line.

On Saturday, the Privateers return to action with a 12 p.m. visit to Mount St. Mary (2-12, 0-5 Skyline).  Maritime has won its last two matchups against the Knights, including a 74-56 triumph at Riesenberg Gymnasium last season.