Off-season happenings

Marist receives letters of intent from big men Adam Kemp and Pieter Prinsloo. It's painfully obvious that the Red Foxes need some guys underneath to help out the skilled guards already in place.
Here is a brief evaluation of Kemp. He also garnered interest from Cornell, which is a good sign for Marist.
Marist also has a verbal agreement with swingman Jay Bowie out of Tampa, Fl. While the Red Foxes are loaded in the front court, this may or may not be an indication about Sam Prescott's eligibility. Hopefully Prescott is able to come back strong.
Bowie on choosing Marist:
“I liked that the university was good in academics and it seemed like the right fit for me," Bowie said. "I also have the chance to do something special there.”
Along the coaching front, Chuck Martin turns into one of the MAAC veterans after Fran McCaffery and Kevin Willard left their respective schools. Iona named Tim Cluess, formerly of C.W. Post, to the head coaching helm while long-time assistant Mitch Buonaguro takes over at Siena. Ironically, two Siena recruits bailed on the Saints and followed McCaffery to Iowa.
Speaking of Siena, Ronald Moore was pulled over for drunken driving earlier today near Siena's campus. The school hasn't commented, but these are obviously very serious charges.

Willard to Seton Hall

According to The New York Daily News, Kevin Willard will take over as the head coach at Seton Hall.
The former Iona head coach spent three years with the Gaels and guided them to a 21-win season in 2009-10. Iona won two games the year before Willard became coach.
This marks the second coaching change in the MAAC today. Fran McCaffery left Siena to take over at Iowa.
Two of this past season's better teams will now be looking for a new head coach.
Willard was named MAAC Coach of the Year this past season.

McCaffery bolts Siena for Iowa

Marist rival Siena will soon find out what it's like to replace a head coach on short notice.
Fran McCaffery, after signing a long-term extension last year, predictably left the Siena Saints program to join Iowa.
McCaffery, 50, will replace Todd Lickliter after Iowa suffered another mediocre season in the Big Ten.
McCaffery likely had a small window to move on to greener pastures. Siena will not be nearly as successful next season after losing Edwin Ubiles, Alex Franklin, and Ronald Moore. The Saints' bench was also a weak spot this past season.
Several Big East schools were reportedly interested in McCaffery's services. Seton Hall and St. John's had coaching vacancies after the firings of Bobby Gonzalez and Norm Roberts, respectively.
It will be interesting to see what direction Siena takes while looking for a new coach.

Marist makes a quick exit in Albany, falls 72-54

Marist exited the MAAC Tournament in familiar fashion, losing its third game of the season to Canisius. The Golden Griffs ended the Red Foxes misery as Marist closed the season with a historically low 1-29 record.
Marist held a brief 18-17 lead with 6:30 left in the first half, but Canisius kicked it into gear, embarking on a 12-0 run. Canisius cruised the rest of the way home and won, 72-54.
For Canisius, it was too much size, too much speed, and too much to fall to Marist. High-flying forward Elton Frazier led the Golden Griffs with 17 points while big man Greg Logins chipped in 11.
Despite holding Frank Turner to seven points on 2-of-7 shooting, Marist's own guards struggled. Dejuan Goodwin shot 1-of-7 from the field and Candon Rusin attempted only four shots in just 23 minutes of action. Daye Kaba also missed the game due to illness.
The scoring, like it has most of the season, came from Devin Price. Price had one of his finer all-around game, scoring 17 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out two assists. The one silver lining for Marist going forward is that Price and Rusin look like the makings of a very solid backcourt going forward. The only challenge is finding some big men up front.
Menelik Watson, a 21-year old power forward, will become eligible after redshirting this season. Korey Bauer also grew up after being tossed to the wolves this year. Against Canisius, Bauer scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

Season ends in fitting fashion

Marist played its final home game of the season Friday night, and the loss to Saint Peter's was symbolic of the way the past 27 games have gone.
Saint Peter's exploded out of the gate, burying Marist early and often. The Peacocks cruised to a 62-39 victory.
The Red Foxes' offense could not muster much against a usually stingy Peacocks' defense. Marist shot 30.2 percent from the field and scored its second-lowest amount of points on the season. Only the drubbing from 75-38 was more offensively inept.
Saint Peter's jumped out to a 20-3 lead and that was the ball game. Nick Leon scored 15 while Jeron Belin added 13 points.
Devin Price was the only Red Fox to score in double figures. The point guard scored 12 points but had six turnovers to just two assists.
Daye Kaba and Javon Parris tallied seven points apiece on Senior Day. Kaba will graduate and forgo his final season of eligibility in hopes of playing internationally.
The move makes sense for Kaba since he is set academically and the Red Foxes will not challenge for the MAAC crown. After Naofall Folahan withdrew his committal, the writing was on the wall for Kaba.
Marist plays its final game of the season at the Times Union Center on Sunday at 4 p.m. Siena has its Senior Day on Sunday. This should mark an emotional game for Alex Franklin, Edwin Ubiles, and Ronald Moore. They do play the MAAC Tournament in the same venue, however, so it is not their final home game.

Folahan out at Marist

This dreadful season has finally hit Marist where it hurts: in recruiting. The great hope for the future, Naofall "Ming" Folahan, has rescinded his commitment from the Red Foxes.
After losing Casiem Drummond to academic ineligibility, Folahan represented the force that would free up guards Devin Price and Candon Rusin. That responsibility now lies entirely on Menelik Watson's shoulders.
Chuck Martin, suffering through a 1-and-forever season, loses a 6-foot-11, 230-pound pure center. Folahan, who apparently had better options, chose to explore those options after seeing Marist struggle to win one game this season.
Despite the circumstances, this is a hard pill to swallow for a team in dire need of good news.

Irvine edges Marist in BracketBusters

Marist came close but could not execute down the stretch in California.
UC-Irvine took a 64-62 lead after Zack Atkinson made a jump shot with 15 seconds left and held on to win, 66-65.
With Marist's ensuing possession, Dejuan Goodwin was charged with a turnover with only six seconds remaining. After a pair of free-throws, Daye Kaba converted a three-pointer as time expired that left Marist one point short.
Despite falling behind by 12 early in the second half, Marist used an extended 18-6 run to tie the game, 52-52. Devin Price scored 11 of his 18 points during that stretch.
The Red Foxes took a brief lead with 5:08 left to play when Goodwin buried a three-pointer to put Marist up, 57-56. Goodwin scored 10 points in 38 minutes of action.
Irvine went on a 6-0 from that point and closed out the game.
Forward Eric Wise scored a game-high 20 points for the 12-16 Anteaters. Marist dropped to 1-26.
Of Marist's 21 field goals, 13 were three-pointers. The Red Foxes shot 54.2 percent from behind the arc but were outrebounded, 45-26.
Four Red Foxes played over 30 minutes, with three of them scoring in double figures. In addition to Price and Goodwin, Candon Rusin scored 10 points in 31 minutes.
Daye Kaba added 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 26 minutes off the bench.

Marist drops a pair on Buffalo trip

Marist got blown out in a pair of MAAC contests over the weekend to drop to 1-25 on the long season.
In their annual Buffalo trip, Marist trailed Canisius by as many as 25 before falling, 71-56. The Red Foxes followed up with a clunker against the Niagara Purple Eagles.
Marist competed in the first half against Niagara before going stagnant on offense and dropping the game, 70-51.
Candon Rusin's three-pointer with 3:50 left in the first half cut Niagara's lead to 30-23, but that's the closest Marist would get. Niagara put the game away in the second half with a 12-0 run that turned a 51-40 game into a 63-40 blowout.
Devin Price finished with a team-high 15 points and Rusin added 11 points against Niagara. In the loss to Canisius, Rusin had an impressive outing, scoring 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Price scored 12 against the Golden Griffs.
While rebounding doomed Marist in the Canisius loss, turnovers plagued the Red Foxes on Sunday. Marist turned the ball over 16 times to Niagara's eight.
The argument could be made that this team is hitting the wall. Rob Johnson has struggled mightily, tallying only three points in the two combined games.
Javon Parris has assumed a portion of Johnson's minutes, but he has only shot 3-of-12 during the trip.
Dejuan Good win started against Niagara while Daya Kaba came off the bench.
Observations:
- It's not a good sign when a former major conference recruit, Daye Kaba from Boston College, is coming off the bench for a 1-25 team. While Kaba is certainly just a missing piece to Marist's puzzle this season, he needed to have larger contributions similar to the ones he had against Siena.
- Rob Johnson should probably sit the next game or two. Playing out of position in a long season has finally caught up with him. Dorvell Carter should start in his place in an attempt to showcase his skills before Anell Alexis, Menelik Watson, and Adam Kemp become eligible next season. Johnson will remain ahead of him at that position next year.
- This season can't end soon enough for Marist. With what will likely be one win in a 29-game season, next season should be a welcome relief.

Iona staves off Marist upset bid

Marist gave the No. 2 team in the MAAC a run for its money, but ultimately, Iona prevailed.
Iona feasted off of Marist's turnovers and converted its free-throws en route to a 56-51 win in the McCann Center on Sunday afternoon.
After Candon Rusin split a pair of free-throws to cut the Gaels' lead to 50-48, Iona went 6-of-6 from the charity stripe in the final 1:41 to close out the game.
The Red Foxes never led in the game, although Daye Kaba's jumper with 3:21 left in the first half tied the game, 28-28. Iona led by as many as eight points in the second half, but Rusin and Dorvell Carter buried three-pointers to keep Marist close.
Rusin and Iona's Scott Machado tallied a game-high 17 points. Daye Kaba added 10 points while Carter scored eight points off the bench. Korey Bauer grabbed 10 rebounds inside.
Marist's other two freshmen continued to struggle. Devin Price and Rob Johnson combined to shoot 3-of-14 from the field, good for eight points.
Like good teams do, Iona capitalized on Marist's mistakes. The Gaels scored 22 points off the Red Foxes 18 turnovers. Iona also converted 15 of their 19 free-throws as compared to Marist's 9-of-16.
Marist does not play again until Friday, Feb. 12, at Canisius. The Golden Griffs are 6-8 in the MAAC and coming off a 73-72 overtime loss to Saint Peter's.
Marist dropped to 1-24 on the season and 1-14 in conference play.

Gavin leaving VCU

Former MAAC rookie of the year Jay Gavin transferred from Marist following Matt Brady's departure. He's now departing another school himself.
Jay Gavin announced that he will be leaving VCU after his playing time decreased dramatically. He had a marquee coming-out performance against national powerhouse Oklahoma in which he poured in 20 points.
This will be Gavin's second transfer since coming to Marist as a freshman. He was apparently at odds with his new coach at VCU, Shaka Smart, over playing time.
Smart apparently said that he does not determine playing time, the players do.
Smart took over for current Alabama coach Anthony Grant.

Jaspers blitz Red Foxes

Candon Rusin's three-pointer to close the first half looked to give Marist some much needed momentum Friday night. It didn't turn out that way, though.
Marist cut Manhattan's lead to 29-22 at the half, but the Jaspers exploded offensively in the second half to win, 72-47.
Marist's only win of the season came against Manhattan, and chances are, that will be the lone win. Manhattan opened the second half with a 12-0 run and the game never got back in hand. Manhattan led by as many as 27 points and won by 25.
Darryl Crawford led Manhattan with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Rico Pickett and George Beamon added 13 points apiece and the rest of the Manhattan team spread the scoring wealth in the lopsided win.
Marist placed three players in double-digit scoring. Candon Rusin scored a team-high 12 points. Daye Kaba and Korey Bauer scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The only other Red Fox to score significant points was Devin Price (8 points). He shot 2-of-12, however. Walk-on Pat McDerby finished with two points, only one fewer than the next highest scorer after Price (Hall with three).
Rob Johnson and Dejuan Goodwin went scoreless on the night.
Marist shot 31.3 percent from the field while Manhattan shot 48.3 percent. Manhattan also hammered Marist on the boards, outrebounding the Red Foxes, 38-23. The Jaspers also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds.
Marist will return to action on Super Bowl Sunday for a 2 p.m. tilt against Iona.

Siena asserts second-half dominance in win

Marist gave Siena everything it wanted and had the game close in the second half, but the Saints proved why they are ranked No. 34 in the RPI poll.
A Candon Rusin steal and layup pulled Marist within four points at 41-37 with 17 minutes left to play. Siena then embarked on a 10-0 run and pulled away en route to a 79-60 win.
Edwin Ubiles, the NBA Draft hopeful, came off the bench to score 15 points, including a buzzer-beating fadeaway to close out the first half. Siena led, 39-30, after the first half.
Marist could not contain Siena's interior presence. The Saints pounded the Red Foxes on the glass and used their inside advantage to open up the three-point shot.
Alex Franklin scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Although Franklin stands at only 6-foot-5, his frame is hard to move and he's always in position. Ryan Rossiter complemented Franklin with 16 points.
Siena has the nation's longest-active winning streak: 13 games. Marist fell to 1-21 with the loss and 1-11 in the MAAC.
Korey Bauer and Daye Kaba, Marist's two veteran pieces, stepped up and contributed big performances. Bauer was Marist's biggest offensive weapon early, finishing with 18 points. Kaba scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed five rebounds. He finally delivered an outing the Poughkeepsie Faithful were waiting for.
Ironically, Bauer, a Brady recruit, is having arguably the best season of any Red Fox.
Observations:
- Hard to expect a better performance from Marist than this. With only Korey Bauer in the middle and a perimeter-oriented team, the Red Foxes hung tough with a big Siena squad.
- Prediction: Fran McCaffery leaves Siena for greener pastures in the next two seasons. The Saints' bench is completely bare. Hard to imagine them not plummeting back to earth after Ubiles, Moore, and Franklin graduate.
- Devin Price did a good job against the press. In the early minutes, Siena stifled Marist with its pressure. Price recovered nicely, and Marist was able to break for points.
- An unusual game with Marist's three freshmen not playing as big a role as usual. Playing against a power-team like Siena, they were definitely affected. Rusin had trouble finding his stroke and Price didn't really look to score until late in the game.
- This performance from Kaba is surprising because he's clearly capable of scoring a lot of points. He sports a high-arching jumper which is not likely to get blocked and he plays physical.

Marist's offense futile against Iona

Marist's loss to Iona had shades of the first-round game in last March's MAAC tournament. Unfortunately for the Red Foxes, the Iona Gaels scored 21 more points.
After playing a low-scoring 43-40 game in last year's conference tournament, Iona showed that it's offense has come a long way as the Gaels pounded the Red Foxes, 61-42.
Iona jumped out to a 12-0 lead and extended the run to 17-2. Marist got as close as eight points when a pair of Daye Kaba free-throws cut the deficit to 34-26 with 17:14 left in regulation.
Marist only got consistent offense from three sources and all are freshmen. Candon Rusin scored a team-high 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting. He buried two three pointers. Rob Johnson came alive offensively, scoring 11 points and grabbing five rebounds. Devin Price, inexplicably starting the game on the bench, added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting as well as four rebounds. The three freshmen combined for 33 of Marist's 42 points.
Scott Machado paced Iona offensively and defensively. The star guard scored a game-high 14 points, dished out six assists, and had four steals. Iona shot 41 percent from the field and had only two players score in double figures. The other, Alejo Rodriguez, notched a double-double, scoring 13 points and hauling in 11 rebounds.
Iona pounded Marist on the glass, outrebounding the Red Foxes, 37-28. The Gaels also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to the Red Foxes' four.
Marist turned the ball over 22 times.
Observations:
- It's hard to win games with only three perimeter players scoring the bulk of the points.
- It's also hard to win when Daye Kaba, a major Div. I transfer, scores only two points. He went 0-of-2 from the field and sank a pair of free-throws. Marist needs more out of him to at least be competitive.
- Unfathomable how Chuck Martin starts the game with Devin Price on the bench in favor of R.J. Hall. Hall should get his minutes, but this is Price's show. Predictably, Price had the much better game. Here are the statlines:

Price
10 points
4-8 shooting
2-3 on 3-pointers
4 rebounds
1 assist
2 steals
4 turnovers
1 foul

Hall
0 points
0-4 shooting
0-1 on 3-pointers
4 rebounds
1 assist
5 turnovers
4 fouls

- A nice effort from Dorvell Carter on the defensive end, grabbing eight rebounds. He's overmatched on offense, but like Bauer, he's doing an admirable job.

From bad to worse

Marist fans couldn't imagine the season being any worse, but when Sam Prescott was deemed academically ineligible for the spring semester, the Red Foxes lost even the smallest glimmer of hope at seeing some development this season.
The Red Foxes suffered their third academic casualty this season, with Casiem Drummond already leaving the school. R.J. Hall didn't meet Marist's 2.0 GPA requirement in the fall.
Prescott's situation is supposedly dire. Maybe Marist loosened its standards to help Martin recruit his "guys" after the Brady debacle.
The loss is devastating because of Prescott's progress. He recently poured in a career-high 21 points, the only Red Fox to break that barrier.
Marist will now look to veterans Dejuan Goodwin and Javon Parris to pick up the slack. Without a legitimate big man, it is really hard to expect much more out of this team this season.
On a side note, Daye Kaba and Javon Parris were both on the dean's list, so it's hard to point at one person for the academic failings this season. Martin cannot be fully responsible if he has players making the dean's list, in my opinion.
Menelik Watson, who wasn't eligible because of paperwork issues regarding his transfer from England, is also doing quite well academically.
Hall, prior to Marist, was an honor roll student in high school.
It's hard to pinpoint situations like these on any one factor, but this season, Marist has had more bad luck than in any season I can recall.
The Red Foxes return to action tonight against Fairfield. Marist played Fairfield tough in the last game, but this is a different team. The best Marist can do now is watch the growth of Devin Price, Candon Rusin, and Rob Johnson. Hopefully Dorvell Carter will continue to see an expanded role.

Marist suffers crushing blow at Loyola

Sam Prescott and Dorvell Carter delivered career performances, but Loyola won a three-point contest, 68-61, in Maryland.
Marist missed a golden opportunity with Loyola stars Brett Harvey and Jamal Barney missing the game. Marist had its own injuries, however, with Korey Bauer and Rob Johnson getting injured. Bauer played just two minutes.
The loss is difficult to swallow though because Loyola big man Julius Brooks was ejected after a flagrant foul. With Loyola missing the bulk of its scoring, Marist could not capitalize.
The game was tied at 53 with 6:42 remaining, but Jimmy Patsos' team was able to pull away. J'Hared Hall and Robert Olson nailed three straight three-pointers for the Greyhounds, opening up a 66-58 lead.
Despite playing without Bauer (and Johnson but to a lesser extent), Marist needed to pull out a win against what amounted to Loyola's B squad. The now 1-16 Red Foxes will have trouble winning another game this season, granted the talent is there for the future.
Sam Prescott scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Dorvell Carter, also coming off the bench, scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the fill-in big man.
Devin Price was the only starters to score in double figures for Marist. He scored 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting.
Daye Kaba and Candon Rusin struggled to find their shot, combining to go 4-of-16 from the field.
Olson and Hall scored 20 and 16 points, respectively.
Observations:
- This may sound like a broken record, but Marist needs more out of Kaba, the Boston College transfer, in order to stay competitive. He shot just 2-of-10 last night.
- It's a tall order asking Marist to compete without Bauer, the team's only true interior presence, but Loyola had its own laundry list of players not in the game.
- Loyola converted on 13-of-26 three-pointers. Marist countered with 9-of-20, however.
- A great sign to see Prescott deliver this kind of performance. Price has already proven himself to be a budding star in this league based on his drastic improvement and consistency. Rusin has shown what he's capable of as well. Marist just needs a few big men in the fold.

Rider makes McCann its own Monday night

With students on winter break and a 1-14 Marist Red Foxes team enduring a historically bad season, Rider got out of its slump in a big way.
Rider exploded offensively, leading by 33 points before Tommy Dempsey pulled his starters. Rider cruised to an 84-62 win.
Rider never trailed and the closest Marist came was after Korey Bauer finished a fake-shot/pass from Devin Price to cut the Broncs' lead to 23-19. Rider embarked on a 17-0 run capped off by a Jhamar Youngblood three-pointer.
Youngblood, the Monmouth transfer, scored 17 points in filling in for the injured Novar Gadson. Ryan Thompson returned to top-form by scoring a game-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Patrick Mansell and Mike Ringgold notched 11 points apiece.
The positives for Marist were few and far between. The team has regressed since an upset win over MAAC foe Manhattan. Devin Price, Candon Rusin, and Rob Johnson scored 11 points each. Price did add nine assists, however.
Rider shot 54.2 percent and would have scored over 100 points had Dempsey not pulled his starters.
The frustration started to boil over in the first half. Mike Taylor, right off the bench for Chuck Martin, picked up a technical foul after he was whistled for a personal foul. This followed Rider's 14-0 run ended by Bauer.
Bauer, the lone big man, scored nine points and hauled in six rebounds.
Observations:
- A surprising loss considering Martin seemed enthused about his team's recent practices. Rider was also at a season low. The Broncs lost by 20 points to Iona in their last outing...at home. Novar Gadson, arguably Rider's second-best player, also did not play with an injured ankle.
- Out of a possible 349 Div. I teams, Marist is ranked No. 345 in the RPI poll.
- At this point, coaches and fans need to be looking for positives going forward. Although the team is in a precarious position due to paperwork issues with David Devezin and Menelik Watson, and Casiem Drummond's ineligibility, there needs to be more fight than what was shown tonight. This game was never close and Rider was on a first-half pace for 100 points.
- Again, hard to find any positives, but Devin Price will be a great MAAC point guard. He's improved drastically after a rough opening to the season. Nine assists tonight is pretty impressive since the team only converted 24 baskets. Since he went 4-of-9 from the field, he accounted for 13-of-24 Marist baskets. Glad to see Martin gave him 34 minutes tonight.
- Daye Kaba managed only five points tonight on 2-of-5 shooting. Considering he played at Boston College and is one of the more senior players on this squad, his season thus far has been disappointing.
- Finally, Marist is obviously missing strong veteran players. Ryan Schneider's value to this team last year grows by leaps and bounds. He was a true team-player and played great fundamental basketball. His leadership is sorely missed. The same could be said of Kaylen Gregory. While he didn't play much of a factor in his time at Marist, he shined in the opportunity Martin gave him. The Red Foxes, in addition to being young, don't have players like Schneider, Devezin, and Gregory to look up to. Whether by action or words, they showed the younger guys how to play the right way. That lacking presence is a big reason why Marist is struggling. There are older players on the roster, but they don't have the leadership qualities those three had.

Canisius overpowers Marist in McCann

Canisius proved that Marist does not have the weapons to be successful this year.
Canisius rode its big men to a 72-57 win in the McCann Center on Saturday night. Forwards Elton Frazier and Greg Logins dominated Marist, scoring 25 and 13 points, respectively.
Canisius pulled out to a big lead and led, 40-23, at the half. Marist put up an inspired effort in the second half, as they often do, but it was too little too late.
Canisius all-conference guard Frank Turner also went off for 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
The Golden Griffs pounded the boards, outrebounding the Red Foxes, 35-21. Hard to win games giving opponents that many opportunities.
Marist received strong offensive performances from freshmen Devin Price and Candon Rusin. These two could be the second coming of Jordan and Whittington...in their own way. Price scored 15 points in 22 minutes while Rusin notched 11 in 38 minutes. Daye Kaba added 11 points for Marist.
Observations:
- Hard to see where Marist is winning games. The Red Foxes physically just can't compete with many Div. I teams. Korey Bauer is the only true "big man" on the team. Losing Drummond to eligibility and transfer and Watson to NCAA paperwork for this season crippled any chances to make a run.
- Devin Price needs more minutes. He's playing too well to send to the bench and barely play over half a game. He's one of the few bright spots on this season, let's see more of him.
- Credit to Korey Bauer for basically being thrown to the wolves this season. A tough task for anybody.
- A horrid outing from the free-throw line after really looking like the team had turned it around. Shooting 6-of-15 is unacceptable, although it would not have affected the final score.
- Marist is facing a very down and disappointing Rider team on Monday. The Broncs have underachieved woefully and this might be a nice time to pick off a team.

Marist routed at home

Princeton came into the McCann Center and received a career-performance from sophomore Patrick Saunders in its 77-58 win.
Saunders went a perfect 8-of-8 from the field and scored 21 points. He averages 6.0 ppg for the now 8-5 Tigers.
Princeton shot 57.4 percent as a team and poured in 40 points in the first half. Although Marist shot a respectable 48.8 percent, the Red Foxes turned the ball over 14 times to Princeton's seven.
Candon Rusin paced Marist's offense with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting. He did turn the ball over five times, however. Rusin's offensive effort matched his season high that he set in a loss to Vermont on Dec. 28.
Marist's leading scorer, Daye Kaba, scored eight points on seven shot attempts. He added six rebounds. As one of the more veteran players on the team, Kaba should have a larger offensive presence for Marist.
Maris't scoring is falling largely to the freshmen. Devin Price scored in double figures again, but he shot 4-of-12 from the field. With no interior scoring threat, it's hard to imagine Marist having many high-scoring outings. Price tallied 13 points and dished out five assists. Korey Bauer added nine points while hauling in five rebounds.
The 1-13 Red Foxes return to action Saturday for a home tilt against Canisius. The Golden Griffs are 2-2 in MAAC play and are coming off an impressive win over Iona.
Frank Turner has historically given Marist fits. He's averaging 16.7 ppg, and 5.1 rebounds and assists per game. Julius Coles and Greg Logins are also averaging double-digit scoring.

Saint Peter's buries Marist in second half

In a tightly played first half, Marist hung with Saint Peter's. The second half was another story.
Saint Peter's opened the second half on a 17-6 run and cruised past Marist, 61-49.
Nick Leon and Ryan Bacon buoyed the Peacocks' offense by scoring 16 and 12 points apiece. Saint Peter's other star guard Wesley Jenkins struggled in his return from a mild concussion. Marist limited him to seven points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Saint Peter's led, 27-21, at the half and that margin grew to as many as 17 midway through the second half.
Although Korey Bauer is Marist's only true big man, the rebounding margin remained close. Saint Peter's outrebounded Marist, 31-20. Bauer hauled in eight rebounds but shot only 2-of-8 from the field.
Marist received strong offensive performances from freshmen Devin Price and Sam Prescott. Prescott notched a team-high 14 points (5-9 shooting), while Price continues to thrive as the starting point guard. He tallied 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting. He knocked down two of his three three-point attempts.
In addition to Price's and Prescott's performances, Marist as a team shot 14-of-14 from the free-throw line. Saint Peter's shot just 2-of-5 from the charity stripe.
Other Observations and MAAC notes:
- Phenomenal effort from the free-throw line tonight. Credit to Martin & Co. for righting the ship in that area. While he can't control the youth and some of the struggles the Red Foxes have encountered with eligibility, it's nice to see they've improved on the fundamentals.
- I personally don't love the shot distribution. Rob Johnson and Korey Bauer shot a combined 4-of-16. Bauer should not be shooting eight shots, including a three-pointer. Kaba, meanwhile, attempted just two shots (1-2, six points). Javon Parris should not take the same amount of attempts (0-2) as Kaba. Price also had just five attempts. He made the most of them, however.
- Only 35.7 percent shooting from the field. That won't win many games. Only 10 buckets midway through the second half.
Elsewhere in the MAAC
- Rider continues to struggle mightily this season, but the Broncs made a strong comeback to overtake Manhattan, 65-64 in Draddy.
- Siena dominated Loyola and won by 20, 76-56. The final box-score is not indicative of how one-sided the game was.
- Niagara and Canisius both hold late second-half leads against Fairfield and Iona, respectively.

Marist notches first win of the season

The Red Foxes' youth shined in a home win over MAAC foe Manhattan.
All four Marist freshmen scored in double figures and got their first taste of victory as NCAA players in a 72-66 win.
Devin Price and Sam Prescott had a team-high 13 points. Prescott shot 5-of-6 from the field and played 19 minutes. Candon Rusin drained three three-pointers and scored 11 points, while Rob Johnson and Daye Kaba each scored 10 points.
Marist led, 32-21, after the first half. Although the Red Foxes surrendered 45 second-half points, they made their free-throws down the stretch and closed out the game.
Manhattan's Rico Pickett had a game-high 26 points and Darryl Crawford poured in 17 points. Those two Jaspers accounted for the brunt of Manhattan's offense.
Marist's free-throw shooting (70.4 percent) and rebounding has improved drastically in recent games. Manhattan only grabbed three more rebounds than Marist, and Korey Bauer tied a game-high with eight points. He also added eight points.
The Red Foxes' win improves them to 1-2 in the conference. Marist has played its best basketball against conference opponents.
Marist's win capped off an interesting day in the MAAC:
- Rider fell to 1-2 in conference play with a 68-66 loss to Loyola.
- Iona used balanced scoring to upset MAAC power Niagara on the road.
- Siena struggled and needed overtime to beat 3-9 Mount Saint Mary's at home. Mount Saint Mary's squandered a 7-point lead with 1:11 to play in regulation. Ryan Rossiter had a career-game and scored 29 points while grabbing 13 rebounds.
- Fairfield outlasted Canisius, 58-52, earlier in the day.
- Marist is tied with six other teams at 1-2 in the MAAC.