ARLINGTON, Va. – The Marymount (Va.) University men's basketball team returned to action on Monday night, holding out for a 52-46 non-conference victory over McDaniel College in the Verizon Sports Arena to head into the holiday break with a 5-4 overall record. 

A close-knit game through the first seven minutes was separated by the Saints after a quick run following a strong start by McDaniel's Kevin Yrizarry who dropped in the first six points for the Green Terror. Keeping it close with buckets by juniors Dimitri Rucker and Alex Danko and a three-pointer by sophomore Brandon Rogers, Yrizarry would draw his second foul at the 15:13 mark, sending him to the bench. 

Although the Terror knocked in the next points on a long ball to take a 9-8 advantage, Marymount followed with a 9-1 run to pull ahead 17-10. In the stretch, freshman Ibrahim Kamara skied for a tip-in, while seniors Pat Dumais and Michael Anderson combined for the other seven points. 

By the 3:59 mark, the Saints built up to their first double-digit lead, seeing a Rogers' steal transition into a jumper on the other end by freshman Xavier Adams for a 26-15 advantage. The Terror would get it back within striking distance by the half, as Marymount took a 28-20 lead into the locker room. 

In the second half, the game stayed in favor of the Saints throughout the full 20 minutes, but McDaniel kept the score within single digits the whole time. The Terror made a last effort in the closing seconds, getting within four, 50-46, but two Danko free throws sealed up the Marymount victory. 

Rogers, Anderson and Danko all led the offense with nine points apiece, while Kamara and Rucker added eight and six, respectively. For the game, the Saints shot 41.3 percent from the floor, including 28 points in the paint. 

The men will take the next week to rest up for their holiday trip to Nashville, Tennessee for the two-day Music City Classic. The Saints will open the tournament with Westminster (Mo.) College on Thursday, December 29 at 3 p.m.