Late Comeback Thwarted as Men’s Basketball Falls to Maritime

THROGGS NECK, N.Y. — Senior Alec Willis (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) picked up his second-straight game in double-figures with 17 points, but the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's basketball team lost on the road to SUNY Maritime College on Tuesday. The Bears mounted a valiant comeback, pulling within two with less than two minutes to play, but the Privateers held on for their first Skyline victory of the young season.

The Basics

• Final Score: Maritime 63, St. Joseph's 54
• Records: Maritime (3-3, 1-2), St. Joseph's (3-5, 2-3)
• Location: Throggs Neck, N.Y. — Riesenberg Hall Gym
• SJC Starters: Willis (G), Sirakis (G), Etheart (F), Etheart (F), Meiner (F)

Turning Point

• Maritime reeled off a 7-0 run in just over a minute in the final 3:00 to ice the game right after the Bears narrowed the gap to two.

How It Happened

• Back-to-back buckets from Willis brought the Bears within five (15-10) halfway through the first. SJC hung around for the rest of the period, as a Dimitri Sirakis (Hollis, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) trey three seconds before the buzzer brought the score to 28-26 Maritime at the break.
• The two squads traded baskets until the hosts spurted to an 8-2 run giving them a 10-point lead (47-37) halfway through the second frame capped off by a steal and score from Brennan Whelan.
• A 6-0 Bears' run featuring two Willis finishes pulled the within two at 54-52 with 4:02 on the clock at the peak of the comeback, but Maritime only allowed two points over the final four minutes to secure their third triumph of 2017-18.

For the Bears

• Willis snagged seven rebounds and shot 8-for-13 leading to his team-high 17.
• Sirakis was the only other Bear in double-figures with 12 on an inconsistent shooting night (5-18, 2-9 3FG).
• Junior Aaron Parra led the SJC bench with eight points as well as five rebounds and a block.

Inside the Box Score

• The paint was dominated by Maritime's 6-foot-8 center Patrick MacDonald as he poured in 24 points and corralled 17 boards.
• St. Joseph's held the Privateers to a dismal 15% clip from three despite the loss.

The Bear Facts

• The Bears are now 5-4 all-time against the Privateers and have dropped the last two matchups.

Next Up for the Bears

• A one-game stop back at The Hill Center to battle Sarah Lawrence on Thursday (Dec. 7) at 7 p.m. Live stats and video streaming at SJCBears.com.