Feb. 29, 2008
Final Stats
Press Conference Video
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Playing his first game since Jan. 17, red-shirt senior guard Louie McCroskey (Bronx, N.Y.) came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points to lead the Marist men's basketball team to a 67-60 victory over Iona on Friday. The win snapped a three-game losing streak, as the Red Foxes improved to 16-13 overall and 10-7 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.
McCroskey shot 6-for-10 from the field, 4-for-5 from three-point range and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Senior Ben Farmer (Clinton, Conn.) scored a season-high 16 points, with 13 coming in the second half. Farmer shot 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-7 from three-point range while adding two assists.
Red-shirt sophomore point guard David Devezin (Houston, Texas) and red-shirt junior forward Ryan Schneider (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) gave Marist four double-digit scorers with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Devezin also contributed seven assists, three rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal. Schneider hit three three-pointers and grabbed four rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
On the strength of hitting its first five three-point attempts of the game, Iona led by as much as 12 on two occasions in the first half, including a 28-16 advantage with 4:46 remaining until halftime. However, the Red Foxes held the Gaels scoreless until the intermission and reeled off seven straight points themselves to make the halftime score 28-23 in favor of Iona.
The Red Foxes hit their first three three-point attempts of the second half - one by McCroskey, two by Farmer - to tie the score at 32 apiece with 17:57 remaining. There would be five lead changes and four ties after that, but the Red Foxes took the lead for good when Farmer found classmate Ryan Stilphen (Bay Village, Ohio) for a layup with 6:11 to go, which put Marist up 55-53. Farmer hit a long two on Marist's next possession, and the Red Foxes never led by less than four from that point on. The Red Foxes held the Gaels to just seven points in the final 6:39.
Marist tied its season best with just seven turnovers. After shooting just .286 in the first half, Marist shot .577 (15-for-26) from the field in the second half. The Red Foxes also were 7-for-11 (.636) from three-point range and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line in the second half.
Devon Clarke led Iona (11-19, 7-10) with 16 points, and Gary Springer had 15 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots.
With the victory, Marist clinched a top-six finish in the MAAC, meaning the team will play its first conference tournament game in the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 8.
Marist will play its final regular-season game on Sunday, when the Red Foxes host Loyola at 4 p.m. Prior to the game, Marist will honor the seven members of its senior class - Farmer, Stilphen, McCroskey, center Spongy Benjamin (St. Francis Village Erin, Trinidad), forward Shae McNamara (Milwaukee, Wis.), guard Joe Keegan (Brick, N.J.) and four-year manager Ashley Mahon.
