Box Score
 
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Jan. 22, 2022) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's basketball team saw its lead get to as high as 23 points late in the first half, only to have visiting Mount St. Vincent storm back to within two points in the closing minutes of the game, but the Mariners escaped the Liebertz Gymnasium with a 67-64 victory on Saturday afternoon.
 
The win combined with a loss by Mount St. Mary on Saturday propelled USMMA (9-6, 6-2 Skyline) into first place in the Skyline North Division. The Dolphins dropped to 6-9 (4-4 Skyline) in defeat.
 
Sophomore Bryce Bristow (Plano, Texas) led all players in the game with a career-best 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting, to go along with five rebounds. Two other Mariners recorded double-digit performances – freshman Kody Robinson (Woodbridge, N.J.) with 15 points and sophomore Josh Kauffman (East Providence, R.I.) with 12. Both Robinson and Kauffman had six boards apiece, while senior Blaine McDonough (Marietta, Ga.) led the Mariners with seven rebounds and freshman Isaac Vencel (Bloomington, Ind.) tied for the game-high with four assists.
 
Merchant Marine was on fire to start the game, as the Mariners nailed their first five shots and were also 5-for-5 on three-pointers in the just the first four minutes of the game to grab a 19-3 lead early. The advantage hit 23 points, 41-18, at 3:35 of the first after the ninth three-pointer of the day. USMMA went into the locker room with a 43-24 lead.
 
Facing a 21-point deficit, 49-28, four minutes into the second, the Dolphins went on an incredible 20-3 run to make it just a four-point game, 52-48 at 9:35. Play was pretty even from there down the stretch, though. The Mariners went up by eight at 4:36 on a fast-break layup by Vencel that made it 62-54, but CMSV responded with five-straight to come within three.
 
After Kauffman nailed a layup at 2:42, Dolphin junior Aaron Darab hit his third three-pointer of the half to make it a two-point game with 2:20 to go. The two teams exchanged the next two baskets, and the Mariners got the ball with under a minute to play and Kauffman nailed one-of-two from the free throw line to bring the lead up to three.
 
On their final possession, Mount St. Vincent missed a trio of potential game-tying three-pointers, Merchant Marine held on for the win.
 
For the Dolphins, Darab had a team-best 18 points, while freshman Dillon Hod contributed 12 and senior Kalos Evans added 10. Hod just missed out on a double-double, as he brought down a game-high nine rebounds.
 
The Mariners close out their three-game homestand on Wednesday night, Jan. 26, when they host St. Joseph's-Brooklyn beginning at 7 p.m. at the Liebertz Gymnasium. Live stats and a live video feed of the game will be available with links on the USMMA Men's Basketball Schedule Page.
 
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