Wesley Robinson driving into the paint against the Marist Red Foxes in a 57-50 loss.
ISAIAH ROSARIO / THE QUADRANGLE
By Isaiah Rosario, Sports Editor
After arguably the Jaspers’ (5-20, 2-14 MAAC) worst loss of the season against Rider on Feb. 18, Manhattan men’s basketball looked to bounce back and record their first win in February.
Before the matchup, the Marist Red Foxes (15-9, 10-5 MAAC) sat fourth in the MAAC standings while the Jaspers sat in last place. The Red Foxes allowed 61.9 points per game and allowed opponents to shoot only 41.2% from the field.
In their first matchup this season at Marist, the Jaspers lost 56-70. Shaquil Bender scored 18 points on 8-17 shooting and Josh Pascarelli for the Red Foxes scored 16 on 6-9. The Jaspers kept it close in the first, but the lead only further expanded in the second half.
Unfortunately for the Jaspers, their losing streak would be extended to seven games following a 57-50 loss to Marist in a defensive battle.
The first points of the game came off of Seydou Traore with a three-pointer from the wing.
Scoring was scarce to start the game as tough defense resulted in only two made baskets five minutes into the game. The Jaspers started the game 1-9 from the field and the Red Foxes started 1-5.
Traore and Bender were the Jaspers’ main source of offense in the first half of the matchup as they scored 18 of the Jaspers’ 20 points. In a low-scoring first half, the Jaspers were able to hold the Red Foxes to 14 points on 22% shooting and 28% from three and maintained a six-point lead.
The lead for the Jaspers vanished rather quickly in the second half as the Red Foxes opened up the half on a 9-2 run. The theme from the first half was the defensive prowess on both sides of the ball and remained the same in the second half as the score hit 34-28 with 11 minutes to play in the game.
After fighting for NCAA eligibility, eighth-year senior Dejaun Clayton officially stepped on the court for the first time this season and nailed two free throws for his first points as a Jasper. Clayton hit a tough jumper near the free throw line that brought the Jaspers within two.
After the Jaspers went scoreless in three minutes the Red Foxes expanded their lead to 10 with five left to play. The lead for the Red Foxes would remain in the high single digits for the rest of the game as the Jaspers attempted to make a final push, but it was not enough.
The main talking point in the game was how the Jaspers were able to hold the Red Foxes to 14 points in the first half, but then their defense crumbled in the second half as they allowed Marist to score 43 points, which would lead to the Jaspers’ demise.
The next game for the Jaspers is March 1, against the struggling Siena Saints. This will be the first of four games for the Jaspers before they head off to the MAAC championship tournament.