Nov. 18, 2003
Box Score
Poughkeepsie, NY -- The Marist College men's basketball team dropped its season opener, 79-74 to visiting Hofstra University this evening at the McCann Center in a first round Preseason National Invitation Tournament game.
Marist led 74-73 when Brandon Ellerbee connected on three free throw shots with 1:35 to go in the contest. Hofstra took the lead 33 seconds later when with four seconds left on the shot clock, Gibran Washington drained a three points to put the Pride up for good 76-74. Marist had a pair of three pointers fall short in the final 30 seconds of play.
Ellerbee, who scored a career-high 25 points in the game, connected on three consecutive three pointer to put Marist up 44-39 with 18:08 to play. Hofstra's Danny Walker answered with a three pointer 32 seconds later, to get to back within two points. From that point, with 17:36 to play, until a Washington lay-up with five seconds left, the margin between the teams was never more than one possession.
Ellerbee led all scored with his 25 points, coming on a career-best six three pointers. Pierre Monagan was the only other Marist player in double-digits as he poured in 12 points in his first outing for the Red Foxes. Monagan added eight assists and three rebounds. Chris Handy led the Red Foxes with seven rebounds. Nine of 11 Red Foxes to play in the game tallied points, including eight from Will McClurkin, also playing his first game at Marist.
Marist shot 44.4 percent, 24-54, from the field and 41.7 percent, 10-24 from behind the arc. The Red Foxes were out rebounded 37-33 in the game. The Pride knocked down 51.7 percent of their field goal attempts, 30-58, including 10-20 from behind the arc.
The Pride had four double-digit scorers, led by the 21 points of Danny Walker, who added three blocked shots. Kenny Adeleke led all players with 13 boards and had seven points. Wendell Gibson had 16 and Gibran Washington and Carlos Rivera each added 10 points.
Hofstra will advance to the play Georgia Tech on Thursday in an Preseason NIT quarterfinal game.
Marist will return to action November 22-23rd as it hosts the annual Pepsi/Marist Classic. The Red Foxes will open at 7:30 Saturday against Coastal Carolina, while the other match up will feature Yale and Eastern Michigan. The championship and consolation game will be played at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm on Sunday.
