Marist’s Brian Parker tries to break through during Wednesday’s home opener against Vermont.
Four points separated the Marist College men’s basketball team and the preseason favorite to win the America East conference.
That was reason for optimism for third-year Red Foxes coach Mike Maker moments after his team dropped its third game in as many tries this season.
“We don’t have that discipline yet, that culture yet. But we’re getting closer,” said Maker, whose team lost to Vermont, 76-72, at McCann Arena Wednesday. “We’re headed in the right direction. Winning is just a byproduct of doing things right on and off the court.”
The Red Foxes had suffered through eight consecutive losing seasons, and two lopsided losses to nationally ranked opponents entering Wednesday. And, they allowed the Catamounts to score 16 of the game’s first 22 points.
But, the Red Foxes’ resiliency was evident after halftime.
Trailing by as many as 12 points midway through the second half, Marist rallied. Ryan Funk drained a 3-pointer to cut the Catamounts’ lead to 59-55, and Khallid Hart tied the game with a layup two possessions later, with 6:09 left to play. Marist eventually took its first and only lead at 69-68 on another Hart layup, but the Red Foxes were held to three more points over the final 2:28.
“The fight we showed in the second half was unbelievable,” said Hart, a redshirt senior guard who led all scorers with 21 points and had five steals. “From the time I’ve been here, there’s maybe been one other team that’s fought like that. They know not to give up.”
Ryan Funk was Marist’s second-leading scorer with 19 points. He knocked down six 3-pointers in 10 attempts. Isaiah Lamb added 10 points.
The Red Foxes made 13 steals and forced 18 turnovers in all, which turned into 19 points. But Vermont made 15 of its 24 shots in the second half, including back-to-back layups in the final two minutes to surge ahead for good.
Vermont (2-1) previously blew out another Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foe, Quinnipiac, 94-70, on the road in its Nov. 12 opener.
Marist will face Brown (1-2) and Grand Canyon (0-2) as part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Brown’s lone win came at home against the MAAC’s Niagara, 88-79, on Nov. 13.
“I told our guys, that if we play a brand of basketball with passion and play together like we did (against Vermont), it will come,” Maker said. “It’s baby steps.”
A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJM_PoJoSports
Marist basketball weekend schedule
Men
Saturday: vs. Brown, 5:30 p.m. Saturday
Sunday: vs. Grand Canyon, 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: At Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, as part of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament
Web TV: ESPN3
Web/Radio: http://www.goredfoxes.com; WKIP (1450 AM)
Women
Saturday: at Holy Cross, 1:05 p.m. Saturday
Where: Worcester, Massachusetts
Web/Radio: http://www.goredfoxes.com; WKIP (1450 AM)
Marist’s Tobias Sjoberg goes for a layup during Wednesday’s home opener against Vermont.
Marist’s Khallid Hart looks for an open teammate during Wednesday’s home opener against Vermont.