FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The Maritime Basketball team recorded a season-best 86 points but it was not enough as the Privateers fell to the Farmingdale Rams by a 96-86 score from the Lynch Sports Center on Long Island.
 
All five of Maritime's starters reached double-figures in points, led by junior Isaiah Hayes (Jamaica, N.Y./Queens Teaching) with a season-high 19 points on the game. Sophomore John Liccese (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) was second on the team with 18 points, followed by junior Brendon Halligan (Durham, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) with 13.
 
Junior Tim Hoch (Coventry, R.I./Fishers Island (N.Y.)) finished the game with a dozen points, followed by sophomore Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) with 11. Freshman Michael Walker (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) added six points off the bench, while sophomore Christian Bilger (Wimberley, Texas/Wimberley) tied his season-high with five, sophomore Akil Spruill (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) chipped in with two points.
 
Hayes added a team-best 15 rebounds, for his third double-double of the season. Liccese tied his career best with nine assists, with Hayes leading the team with four blocks. Hayes and Halligan both led the team with two steals apiece.
 
Maritime held the early advantage in the game as a Liccese jumper, Hoch three-pointer, and Halligan three-point basket gave the Privateers an 8-4 lead with 3:33 gone by in the opening half. Farmingdale chipped away and eventually took an 11-10 advantage.
 
After falling behind by eight, Bilger stepped back for a three-point basket of his own with 11:38 to go in the period to pull the Privateers back within five at 23-18. The Rams continued to stretch their lead to 14 at 44-30 before Hayes knocked down a jump shot. Liccese added an old-fashioned three-point play on the ensuing possession to knock the lead back down to 44-35.
 
Through the first 20 minutes of play, Farmingdale had a 12-point lead at 49-37.
 
In the second half, Farmingdale opened play with back-to-back layups before Liccese dialed up a shot from long distance to keep the Rams within 13.  After another Ram layup, Hayes dropped a three-pointer, which was answered by a Farmingdale three-pointer.
 
MacDonald sank a layup, and after a missed Ram attempt the Privateers came back down the court and Halligan drained another three-pointer to pull Maritime back within 10 at 58-48. Farmingdale added seven unanswered points as the Rams jumped ahead 65-48 with 16:14 left in the game.
 
Maritime continued to close the gap as Liccese, Hoch and Walker all converted on three-point plays. Hayes sank a basket to pull Maritime back within 10, but it was Farmingdale to answer with another five unanswered points.
 
Hoch cut the deficit to nine at the 7:36 mark with a layup to make the score 81-72, and Halligan did the same on a three-pointer to cut the hole to eight. The Privateers were unable to close the gap to less than eight through the remainder of the game, as the team fell by the 96-86 score.
 
As a team, Maritime shot 46.9% from the field, which was the team's second highest shooting night on the season. The squad also converted on 15-of-23 free throws, which Farmingdale was 20-of-39 from the stripe.
 
Maritime (2-11, 2-6 Skyline) will resume league play on Saturday when the team returns home to take on the St. Joseph's (Bklyn) Bears in their first-ever Skyline Conference matchup with the Bears at 1 p.m. from the Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium
 
Farmingdale (7-8, 7-3 Skyline) will stay home and host the Sage Gators for a 3 p.m. tip from the Lynch Sports Center on Saturday afternoon.