THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – Freshman Brendan McGovern (Seaford, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) hit the go-ahead basket with 2.9 seconds remaining in regulation as the Maritime basketball team edged the Mount St. Mary Knights by the score of 81-78 from Riesenberg Hall Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
 
McGovern closed the game with nine points and also had three rebounds on the game while adding one assist. Junior Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) led the Privateers with 24 points and also pulled down 14 rebounds while registering a pair of assists on the game. Senior Brendon Halligan (Durham, N.Y./Cairo-Durham) also recorded double-figures in points with 17, while chipping in with five helpers.
 
Junior John Liccese (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) had a game-high six assists for the Privateers while also collecting a pair of steals and had two rebounds. Senior Tim Hoch (Coventry, R.I./Fishers Island (N.Y.)) added nine points and six rebounds, while sophomore Michael Walker (Bayport, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point) had eight points to go along with one block and one steal. Junior Tim McQuail (Middle Village, N.Y./Cathedral Prep) led the Privateers with two blocks and also had three points and a pair of assists.
 
Mount St. Mary stormed out of the gates with the opening four points and then took a 7-4 lead with 2:36 gone by in the opening frame. Halligan knocked down a three-ball, followed by a layup from MacDonald to give the Privateers their first lead of the game by an 8-7 score.
 
Hoch added a three-pointer, followed by a long-range shot from McQuail before MacDonald laid the ball through the cylinder to push the Privateers to a 16-7 advantage. MacDonald connected on another layup followed by Halligan knocking one down at the stripe to give Maritime a 12-point cushion at 19-7 with 12:53 left in the opening half.
 
As the half progressed, Mount St. Mary continued to slice into the Privateer lead and eventually tied the score at 29. The score was evened on three more occasions in the waning minutes before Maritime led by three and held the final possession. Liccese knocked down a three-pointer from the right elbow as time had expired in the half to send the Privateers into the locker room with a 44-38 advantage.
 
Liccese laid the ball in to open up the second half to give Maritime an eight-point lead, Hoch gave the Privateers a nine-point advantage several possessions later at 53-44. Mount St. Mary scored the next eight points to trim the lead down to one, but the Privateers answered once again with an old-fashioned three-point play from Walker. MacDonald collected a mid-range jumper to give Maritime some breathing room and a six-point lead.
 
As play moved into the final seven minutes of regulation, the Knights trimmed the lead to one once again at 64-63, before taking their first lead of the half with 6:33 to go. The lead changed hands on several occasions on the next series of possessions before Maritime took the lead by one at 73-72 on a Halligan layup.
 
McGovern knocked down a three-pointer on a dish from MacDonald before the Knights made it a one possession game with 1:29 to go. After MacDonald converted another layup to move the Privateers into a four-point lead, the Knights scored the next four points to tie the game at 78 with 13 seconds left on the clock.
 
The Privateers used their final timeout with 7.6 seconds to draw up a play. McGovern inbounded the ball at mid-court, and found Liccese on his pass. Liccese made a defender fall down as he found an open McGovern, who drained his third three-pointer of the game to put the Privateers ahead by an 81-78 score.
 
Mount St. Mary's inbounds play went out of bounds, allowing the Privateers to run out the clock and seal their second conference victory of the season.
 
Maritime (6-5, 2-2 Skyline) will face the Sage Gators on Wednesday, as the team looks to record its third consecutive win. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. from Kahl Gym in Albany, N.Y.

Mount St. Mary (8-4, 3-1 Skyline) will host Sarah Lawrence at the Kaplan Center in Newburgh, N.Y. on Wednesday evening at 8 p.m.