PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – The Maritime basketball team suffered its first setback of the season on Tuesday evening, dropping a Skyline Conference matchup to host St. Joseph's (LI) at the Danzi Center by the score of 66-60.
 
Senior Patrick MacDonald (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) led the Privateers with 23 points and 10 rebounds as he records his second double-double in as many games on the young season. Senior John Liccese (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman) also registered double-figures in points with 10 points and also led the team with four assists.
 
Sophomore Brendan McGovern (Seaford, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) sparked nine points off the bench in 20 minutes on the floor, while junior Mike Walker added eight points in 31 minutes on the night. Senior Isaiah Hayes (Jamaica, N.Y./Queens Teaching) was second on the team with seven rebounds as he added a team-high four steals to go along with his four points.
 
Freshman Brennan Whelan (Northport, N.Y./Northport) and sophomore Jermaine Brathwaite (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) combined for six points and eight rebounds.
 
After falling behind by as many as 11 points in the opening half, Maritime fought back late in the game and held a four-point lead on a Whelan layup with 8:14 to go in the second half. St. Joseph's wrestled back the lead with five minutes to go and did not turn back as the Golden Eagles won by six.
 
The Golden Eagles opened the game with a two-point basket, but Maritime responded as Liccese knocked down a three to give Maritime its first lead of the game. St. Joseph's surged ahead but the Privateers were able to tie the game at eight with 15:35 left in the opening half.
 
Maritime was able to get its largest lead of the game at 19-12 as MacDonald connected on a layup off a pass from Whelan with 11:23 to go. However the Golden Eagles chipped away and took the lead back at 25-23 before moving ahead by 11 points in the first half with 1:42 left in the period.
 
MacDonald sank a pair from the stripe followed by a layup from Hayes to close out the half and send the Privateers into the locker room trailing by seven at 36-29.
 
Maritime got the first points in the second half on a Liccese layup, but the Golden Eagles responded with a three-ball to regain an eight point lead at 38-31. The Privateers got six unanswered points by Walker and MacDonald to close the gap to two before ultimately tying the game at 41 on a basket by Liccese.
 
After a three-pointer by St. Joseph's broke the tie, MacDonald connected on a layup followed by a layup from Whelan as Maritime took a one-point lead at 47-46. Whelan got Maritime's lead to four at 50-46, but the Golden Eagles took back the lead at 53-51 and did not relinquish despite Maritime's late efforts.
 
Maritime (1-1, 0-1 Skyline) will look to regroup for Sunday's non-conference matchup as the Privateers visit Mitchell for a 3 p.m. start in Connecticut.
 
St. Joseph's (LI) (1-2, 1-0 Skyline) returns home next Tuesday for a conference date with the Sarah Lawrence Gryphons at 7 p.m. from the Danzi Athletic Center.