KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Nov. 13, 2024) – Merchant Marine men's basketball fell in its season-opener, 89-69, to the SUNY Delhi Broncos at home on Wednesday at the Liebertz Gymnasium. The Mariners are 0-1 to start the year, while the Broncos improve to 2-0.
 
Game Links

• Box Score 

Senior Isaac Vencel (Bloomington, Ind.) led the Mariner attack with 21 points (7-14 FG, 2-5 3P), with fellow senior Drew Zalescik (Lambertville, N.J.) finishing just behind him at 18 points (4-11 FG, 8-10 FT). Vencel also added seven rebounds, with Zalescik grabbing five more. King's Point shot 38.1% from the floor, 22.2% from three, and 73.9% (17-23) at the free throw line.
 
It was a slow offensive start for both sides, with both the Broncos and Mariners managing just one bucket apiece through the first two and a half minutes. Zalescik finally keyed a slow but efficient 11-4 run for Merchant Marine with his six points, running an early lead up to 13-6. After a few more back-and-forth sequences, a 10-6 spurt saw King's Point take a 25-16 lead.
 
SUNY Delhi responded in a big way, closing the final 7:48 of the half on a 30-14 run while shooting a perfect 12-12 from the field and 4-4 from beyond the arc to go into the break up 46-39.
 
Out of the half, King's Point struggled to put the ball in the basket. The Mariners shot just 2-11 through the first seven minutes of the half, with SUNY Delhi pushing their advantage to 59-45. A quick 8-2 Broncos stretch made it a 20-point lead, with just over 10 minutes to play. The two sides essentially traded baskets through the final 10 minutes of action, but it was too little too late for Merchant Marine as they lost 89-69.
 
SUNY Delhi got a remarkable shooting performance from freshman Abdul-Jaleel Ibrahim, who drilled six of seven three-pointers and finished with 22 points.
 
Next up for the Mariners, they take on Pratt Institute on Saturday, November 16 at the Cannoneers' Activity Resource Center. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. in Brooklyn.
 
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