PURCHASE, N.Y. – On Thursday, the Maritime Basketball team travelled to Westchester County for a matchup against the Panthers of Purchase College. In a game that came down to the closing minutes, the Panthers held on for a four-point win, as the Privateers fell by a 55-51 score.
 
Maritime was led by junior Isaiah Hayes (Jamaica, N.Y./Queens Teaching) with his second double-double of the season as he collected a career-best 15 rebounds to go along with 11 points, and a season-best four blocks. His 15 rebounds tied the fifth highest total for boards in a game dating back to the 2004-05 season. His four blocks also tied the fifth highest total dating back to the 2004-05 season.
 
Joining Hayes in double-figures in scoring was sophomore John Liccese (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman), who finished the game with a team-best 12 points on the game, with nine of his points coming in the second half. Classmate Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) was second on the team with 11 rebounds, as he also chipped in with eight points.
 
Junior Tim Hoch (Coventry, R.I./Fishers Island (N.Y.)) tied his season-high with eight points on the evening including a pair of shots from beyond the arc. Junior Brendon Halligan (Durham, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) added five points, while sophomore Tim McQuail (Middle Village, N.Y./Cathedral Prep) was perfect from the floor with his lone shot of the night, which came from three-point land, as he finished with four points. Sophomore Christian Bilger (Wimberley, Texas/Wimberley) also knocked down a long-range basket for three points.
 
Purchase quickly started the game with a 5-0 lead, but Maritime ended the run as MacDonald sank a layup off a pass from Hayes, who then followed with a layup of his own. After the Privateers got the ball back, Hoch knocked down a three-pointer to put Maritime up by a 7-5 score with just over five minutes gone by in the opening period.
 
The Panthers ballooned its lead up to nine at 22-13, but McQuail knocked down his three-point shot to end the Purchase run. Maritime netted the next basket, and Bilger sank his lone field goal of the night, which also went for three points, to pull Maritime back within three at 22-19.
 
Down by six with under two minutes to go in the opening half, MacDonald and Hayes connected on back-to-back layups to get the Privateers down by just a basket heading into the halftime break at 31-29.
 
In the second half, Purchase drained a three to start off the period, but Hayes swung momentum back in favor of Maritime with a dunk to pull Maritime within two again at 33-31. Purchase then went on a 10-2 run to take its largest lead of the night at 10 with 10:33 to go in regulation.
 
Liccese countered with a three-pointer off a pass from Hayes. After Purchase converted on a pair of free throws, and MacDonald drained a jumper, both teams went ice cold as the score held at 45-38 for nearly four minutes of game action. Liccese broke the deep freeze with a layup, which was answered by a pair at the line for the Panthers.
 
Hayes sank a basket, as did Liccese with just a Purchase free throw in between as Maritime clawed to within three at 49-46. Purchase made just one free throw in its next trip to the line, and Hoch drained a jumper to make it a two-point game at 50-48 with 1:45 left in regulation.
 
The Panthers were able to keep the Privateers at just enough distance to hold on for the four-point win, closing out the contest by a 5-3 margin en route to the 55-51 win.
 
As a team, Maritime matched Purchase in most categories including field goal percentage, rebounds, and turnovers. The Privateers picked up 16 assists, while Purchase racked up just seven helpers. Free throw shooting proved to be key, as the Privateers took just six trips to the charity stripe, while Purchase totaled 26 uncontested shots from the line, sinking 13 of its chances.
 
Maritime (1-9, 1-4 Skyline) will resume league play as the team returns home to Riesenberg Hall Gym on Saturday, with tip off slated for 2 p.m. (***PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGED START TIME).
 
Purchase (6-7, 4-4 Skyline) will head to Long Island on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. start against the Farmingdale Rams.