Niagara entered the McCann Center on Sunday afternoon undefeated in the MAAC, but the Purple Eagles did not leave that way. Behind a career-high 23 points from point guard David Devezin, the Marist Red Foxes upset one of the MAAC's elite, 86-68. Senior Ryan Schneider also added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore Lawrence Williams chipped in 10 points after returning from a one-game suspension.
Niagara entered the game with a 13-3 overall record and a 4-0 conference record. Niagara was chosen as the No. 2 team in the conference in the preseason poll and were thought by many a good choice to uproot Siena as top dog in the conference.
Marist head coach Chuck Martin was noticeably upset with the team's effort against Manhattan and put the team through the hardest practice to date on Saturday. According to Martin, Marist needs to earn the right to beat team of Niagara's caliber.
"[The win] proves that you have to earn it in practice. You can't come in and hope that Ryan can score 30 and grab 20 rebounds and luck out. That's not how you win," Martin said. "In the MAAC or in Memphis or in the Big East, you have to earn the right to beat a team of a caliber of Niagara, and we did that yesterday because we practiced hard and practiced long."
After missing several games and slowly integrating himself back into the lineup, David Devezin responded with his biggest performance of the season to date. Devezin dictated the pace of the game and penetrated the lane at will. The point guard erupted for 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting while dishing out a game-high five assists. Devezin is returning from an injury suffered while playing Memphis and has battled plantar fasciitis since.
With Devezin playing at full speed, Martin said that the coaching staff challenged the point guard to meet the expectations the staff has for him.
"We've challenged him and said to Dave, 'We need him,'" Martin said. "We talked about black and white numbers before practice...and we said, 'You have to meet these numbers.' Sometimes in sports its black and white. You have got to get to this number and if you don't get to that number, we [aren't] winning. He obviously responded today."
Marist held Niagara to 30.4 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the Purple Eagles, 39-35. Coach Martin emphasized the need to execute better on the defensive end after Manhattan grabbed 18 more boards than Marist in the previous game. The 73-67 loss to Manhattan served as the reason for what Martin termed "the toughest practice in his short tenure here" yesterday.
Ryan Schneider led the way defensively. In addition to his 15 points, Schneider grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with one steal and one blocked shot. The senior captain has emerged as a likely candidate for first-team All-MAAC honors. Schneider ranks fourth in the MAAC in scoring with 16.4 ppg and second in rebounding with nine rpg. After sitting out a year following his transfer from Vermont and playing sparingly in Matt Brady's offense, Schneider finally has the opportunity to lead a Division I team. For Schneider, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's great, I'm rellishing it," Schneider said. "I've got 13 or 14 games left in my career and I'm just trying to make the most of every time I stop on the floor."
For Martin, Schneider not making the first-team All-MAAC would be an injustice.
"There's no question in my mind. I had this conversation with someone yesterday. If [Ryan's] not a first-team All-MAAC player, then something's wrong," Martin said. "He's as good as anybody in this league. He's as athletic as anybody, he can shoot the ball...he's done a lot for us, and if other coaches don't recognize that, then they're wrong."
Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich gave Schneider the ultimate praise in likening him to a current NBA star. "Devezin's playing great and [Schneider] is playing like [Dallas Maverick's forward Dirk] Nowitzki," Mihalich said. "I mean he is, he's playing terrific."
Marist received another balanced scoring attack against Niagara. Three players scored in double-digits and Kaylen Gregory and Javon Parris both tallied nine points apiece. Gregory has seen his role increase dramatically and the senior finally feels comfortable out on the floor.
"I've been watching film with one of our assistants Ty Weeks, and he told me when I go out there don't be hesitant; when I go out there just be aggressive" Gregory said. "That's the main thing that I did and it's been helping me a lot."
Martin also noted that Gregory seems a lot more comfortable in his role.
"I think he's starting to feel more comfortable in his skin and more comfortable in our offense," Martin said. "In this league he's a really good athlete and he forces defenses to collapse with his ability to get into the paint."
Marist returns to action Thursday with a showdown against rival Siena. Marist is 7-11 on the season and 3-3 in the MAAC, but is 3-0 against MAAC opponents in the McCann Center. Siena is 5-0 in the MAAC and beat Marist earlier this season in the Times-Union Center, 77-60. Marist held a lead with a little over 10 minutes left in regulation, but the Saints outscored the Red Foxes, 22-4, in the final 10 minutes.
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