Marist men winning with balance, aggresiveness, defense

As the old saying goes, you sleep better when you win.

If the adage is true, the Marist College men’s basketball team is sleeping comfortably and soundly lately. The Red Foxes’ 72-66 win over visiting Niagara on Friday was their third in a row and fourth in five games.

It was also the Red Foxes’ first game — and subsequently their first victory — against a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponent. Marist can quickly make it two MAAC wins in a row on Sunday against Quinnipiac in Hamden, Connecticut.

But back to the win over Niagara.

Coach Mike Maker called it one of the best victories he’s been a part of in his tenure. What’s more, he admitted that lately the coffee has tasted better, and even said following the win over Niagara, he might even enjoy an “adult beverage.”

Yet the coach put the emphasis of his team’s early season success on his players.

“For me, it’s not about how I feel. It’s about how (the players) feel,” said Maker, whose team improved to 4-4 overall Friday. “When I see a happy team in the locker room, that’s what I care about.”

And make no mistake, the team has had a lot to be happy about. Among the contributing factors to team’s prosperity has been balance and aggressiveness. And, as was the case of the game against Niagara, good defense.

While the Purple Eagles held redshirt senior guard Khallid Hart to just nine points, senior Kentrall Brooks came away with his first career double-double. The 6-foot-8 center scored a career-high 17 points off the bench and added a team-high 10 rebounds.

The Red Foxes started hot, leading by as many as 10 in the first half and holding a 33-28 lead after the game’s first 20 minutes.

A quick start and an aggressive approach, Brooks said, was part of the team’s game plan.

“We usually start off slow and pick up towards the second half,” he said. “I wanted to change that and the team wanted to change that, as a collective unit. We just tried to go out there and put our foot on the pedal from the jump.”

When Niagara trimmed the lead to two with under a minute left, it was Ryan Funk who stepped up. The sophomore swingman drained a 3-pointer to all but ice the game.

“I’ve never been afraid to take the big shot,” Funk said. “In the locker room, coach said it was courageous to take it.”

Adding to the balance was fellow sophomore Brian Parker, who poured in 14 points.

Defense has also been an integral part of Marist’s win streak. In the first half, the Red Foxes came up with four steals and finished with five. Plus, by the end of the game, Marist had scored 15 points off Niagara’s 16 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Red Foxes only committed nine turnovers and made five blocks.

Maker acknowledged that his team still has work to do on the defensive end. But, adjustments have been key since losing to Vermont in the home opener on Nov. 16.

“I thought we got a little extended defensively, but we really cranked it up and the guys have responded since we showed them tape of, not just our first two games, but the Vermont game,” Maker said. “We’re getting better, but we’re not where we need to be.”

Quinnipiac will get a first-hand look at Marist’s balance, aggressiveness and defense Sunday. The Bobcats enter with a 1-5 record, coming off a loss on Thursday to Monmouth.

And while the Red Foxes can sleep soundly for another night, Maker expects nothing but toughness from Quinnipiac.

“We’re going into the lion’s den,” the coach said. “It’s going to be a war.”

A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJM_PoJoSports