Dec. 3, 2010

Box Score | Photo Gallery

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Led by four double-digit scorers, the Marist men's basketball team defeated Niagara 80-72 in its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opener for both teams on Friday before 2,018 fans at the McCann Center. The Red Foxes jumped out to a 27-8 lead, and led by as much as 23 in the second half as they earned their first victory of the season.

Sophomore guard Sam Prescott (Philadelphia, Pa.) led the Red Foxes with 18 points, shooting 6-for-11 from the field and draining three three-pointers. Sophomore guard Candon Rusin (Surf City, N.C.) poured in 17 while shooting an efficient 5-for-8 from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Freshman swingman R.J. Hall (East Orange, N.J.) had 13 points, five assists and five rebounds. Freshman forward Adam Kemp (Sherrill, N.Y.) tied his career high with nine rebounds, and added five points, two blocked shots and two steals.

After Niagara's Anthony Nelson opened the scoring with a jumper 56 seconds in, Marist answered with an 8-0 run which included two baskets and an assist by Hall. Niagara's Kashief Edwards had a dunk on the following possession to make the score 8-4, but the Red Foxes answered that with a 19-4 run over a span of 8:02. A layup by Prescott with 18 seconds left in the half enabled the Red Foxes to take a 44-25 halftime lead. The Red Foxes shot .531 (17-for-31) from the field in the first half while hitting five three-pointers and scoring 25 fast-break points. Meanwhile, Niagara shot just .310 (9-for-29) from the field and .167 (2-for-12) from three-point range.

Marist led by 23 at two junctures of the second half, but Niagara clawed its way back into the game thanks to 16 second-half points by Skylar Jones. The Purple Eagles got as close as six twice, but would come no closer as Hall helped preserve the win by going 4-for-4 from the line in the final minute.

Jones led Niagara with 20 points. Edwards finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Nelson tallied 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals while playing all 40 minutes.

Marist is now 1-6 on the season; Niagara is 2-5.

Marist returns to action on Sunday, when the Red Foxes host Canisius in another MAAC game at the McCann Center. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. Tickets for the game are available online by clicking here.

Notes: Marist is now 11-3 in MAAC openers. ... Marist's 44-point first half was its largest in Chuck Martin's three seasons as head coach. ... It was the first time Marist scored 80 points in a regulation game since an 86-68 victory over Niagara on Jan. 11, 2009. ... Marist has won five of the last seven meetings against Niagara at the McCann Center.