BRONX, N.Y. (Feb. 3, 2024) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's basketball team could not overcome a slow-shooting first half on Saturday as the Mariners fell to SUNY Maritime by a score of 62-55 at the Riesenberg Gymnasium in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. The loss for USMMA drops the team's overall record to 8-13 on the season and 5-7 in Skyline Conference play. Maritime is now 13-8 overall and 8-4 in league competition after the victory.
 
Game Link

• Box Score 

Senior forward Bryce Bristow (Plano, Texas) scored the first points of the game for USMMA on a steal and subsequent bucket in the first minute of play, but Maritime scored eight straight points in the next ninety seconds of action to gain an 8-2 lead. Bristow and junior Drew Zalescik (Lambertville, N.J.) brought the Mariners within a two-point deficit at 8-6 with five minutes gone by in the opening frame, but the Privateers' Tyler Anderson put forth a 5-0 personal run to give the hosts a seven-point lead. The Mariners would get no closer than four points for the remainder of the half with Maritime holding a 29-20 lead going into the locker room.
 
Anderson's lay-up in the first minute of play in the second half gave the Privateers a double-digit lead at 31-20 and Jovan Germain's three-pointer with ninety seconds off the clock gave Maritime a 34-21 lead. USMMA cut the deficit to seven points thanks to a Zalescik three-point play, a free throw from junior guard Isaac Vencel (Bloomington, Ind.) and a lay-up from senior forward Jake Hatch (Austin, Texas). Following a Maritime time-out, Germain hit another three-pointer to give the hosts a 37-27 lead with fifteen minutes remaining in regulation.
 
The game continued in this manner for the next several minutes as Zalescik and Vencel cut the lead back down to seven points before with about two minutes gone from the clock before Maritime's Jake Cosgove hit a three-pointer to give the Privateers a 40-30 lead with eleven minutes to play. Zalescik hit a three-pointer of his own on the Mariners' next possession and two free throws from senior DeMarcus Spivey (Ashburn, Va.) brought USMMA within five points. Maritime, answered with a long-range jumper from Theo Noble to push the hosts' lead to eight points at the mid-point of the period.
 
The Mariners went on a 5-0 spurt with free throws from Hatch and Zalescik before a Spivey jumper cut the Privateers' edge to three points; once again, however Maritime distanced themselves on a three-pointer, this time by Jake Murphy. After two Bristow free throws with just over seven minutes to play, however, USMMA surrendered an 8-1 run in the next three minutes that effectively put the game away.
 
Zalescik and Bristow each posted double-doubles and a USMMA-high 14 points in the losing effort. Zalescik added 11 rebounds while Bristow had 12 boards, three blocks, three steals and two assists. Hatch chipped in ten points off the bench for the Mariners and Vencel added eight points, five rebounds, and a team-best four assists. The Mariners shot 17-for-52 (33%) from the floor in the game and 17-for-26 (65%) from the free throw line, making 15-of-24 attempts from the stripe in the second half.
 
Germain led all scorers with 20 points for Maritime, as three other Privateers ended the game in double-figure point totals. Anderson had 15 points, Murphy added 12, and Theo Noble had a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double for the hosts.
 
The Mariners continue their two-game road trip in the Bronx on Wednesday night, Feb. 7, with a 7 p.m. tip-off at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on the USMMA Men's Basketball Schedule Page.
 
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