FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (Jan. 15, 2025) – Senior Drew Zalescik (Lambertville, N.J.) registered game-highs in points and rebounds as part of a double-double effort, but the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's basketball team was defeated, 82-57, by a Farmingdale State squad that shot 50.0 percent from the floor. USMMA dropped to 5-9 (1-4 Skyline), while Farmingdale State improved to 7-7 (4-1 Skyline).
 
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• Box Score

Zalescik finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds to pace USMMA, while classmate Isaac Vencel (Bloomington, Ind.) added 13 points. USMMA shot 33.3 percent (22-of-66) from the floor, but made just 3-of-19 3-pointers (15.8 percent).
 
Jevon Santos had 14 points to lead four players in double-figures for Farmingdale State. The Rams made 31-of-62 field goals, including a 10-of-21 effort (47.6 percent) from 3-point territory.
 
USMMA trailed by just one before the Rams put together a 12-0 run to take a 17-4 lead at the 11:03 mark. The Mariners answered quickly as senior Talsen Smith (Roseville, Calif.) drained a 3-pointer to help key an 8-2 spurt that made it just a seven-point game. The Rams pushed the lead back to 10 with a 3-pointer before a Zalescik layup-and-one made it seven once again, 22-15, with 7:18 remaining.
 
The Rams, however, followed with a 7-0 run that made it a 14-point game with 6:05 still to go in the half. A Vencel 3-pointer eventually brought the Mariners back to within nine points, but the Rams closed out the half on a 12-2 run for a 43-24 advantage at the break.
 
A layup by junior Clark Castleberry (Reston, Va.) at 18:28 made it an 18-point game, which marked the closest the Mariners would come in the second half. The deficit eventually reached 31, 65-34, by the 10:48 mark before USMMA scored five unanswered points on a jumper from freshman Max Koeppl (Plano, Texas) and another 3-pointer from Smith.
 
The Mariners travel to Sarah Lawrence on Saturday, Jan. 18, for a noon game.
 
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