BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Nov. 16, 2024) - The USMMA men's basketball team picked up its first win of the 2024-25 season with a 73-69 win on the road against the Pratt Cannoneers. With the win, Merchant Marine improved to 1-1, while Pratt fell to 0-4 in defeat.
 
Four of the Mariner's starting five scored in double figures. Senior Drew Zalescik (Lambertville, N.J.) led the way with a game-high 22 points while shooting 8-of-16 from inside the arc.
 
Zalescik tag-teamed with freshman Max Koeppl (Plano, Texas) to score a combined 40 of USMMA's 73 points. After being held to four points on Opening Night, Koeppl had a coming out party by registering 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting. While Zalescik did the work in the interior, Koeppl went to work outside the arc by shooting 4-for-6 from downtown.
 
The game's most important stretch occurred with 15:26 remaining in the second half as the Mariners led 44-39. Over the next 2:28, USMMA went on a 12-4 run to open up a 13-point, 56-43 lead. Junior Clark Castleberry (Reston, Va.) went on a mini solo run by chipping in with five points in 1:26 to help Merchant Marine extend their lead to double figures. It was a day of great eights for Castleberry as he finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
 
Merchant Marine's transition defense cannot be forgotten about as well. In what ended up being a game that came down to the wire, the Mariners' defense allowed only seven points off turnovers. The result? A Mariners win and a second-half lead that was never relinquished by the road team.
 
Up next, the Mariners will conclude their mini two-game road trip with a visit to Dix Hills when they take on Five Towns College. Tip-off is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. Merchant Marine's next home game will be next Saturday at 2:00 p.m. against Rutgers-Newark as part of a USMMA men's and women's basketball doubleheader in Kings Point.
 
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