March 12, 2007

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.-The Marist men's basketball squad will face Oklahoma State Tuesday evening at 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Cowboys are currently 22-12 overall this season and finished with a 6-10 mark in the Big 12 Conference.

They are led by senior forward Mario Boggan, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, who is averaging 19.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Junior guard JamesOn Curry, an All-Big 12 Third Team honoree, also averages 17.5 points while hitting 41.5 percent (85-205) of his 3-pointers.

The Red Foxes (24-8 overall) won their first outright Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season title with a 14-4 mark. They also boasted the league's Coach of the Year in Matt Brady and the Player of the Year in senior point guard Jared Jordan (Hartford, Conn.). Jordan, a Bob Cousy Award finalist, is bidding to become the first player in Division I history since Southern University's Avery Johnson to lead the nation in assists twice. Johnson averaged 10.74 during the 1986-87 season and 13.3 the following season.

The second round of the tournament will be played Thursday, March 15 through Sunday, March 18.