Box Score 84-47 Win Largest of the Season
HAMPDEN SYDNEY, Va. – Maryville matched season bests in both field goals made and 3-pointers made in an 84-47 rout of Ferrum at the Hampden-Sydney Classic.
It is the fewest points the Scots have allowed in a game since a 68-45 home win over Huntingdon last season.
No. 23 Maryville had control in almost every team category in a complete win. The Scots made the Panthers turn the ball over 25 times, the most of any team to play MC this season. Those turnovers were caused in part by a season-high 14 steals for Maryville which led to 35 points.
"One of our team goals was to convert turnovers into points, and we sure did that," Maryville head coach Raul Placeres said. "We also had 10 times tonight with three stops in a row, and there was an extended stretch in the second half where we held them scoreless."
MC held Ferrum to shooting 34.3 percent from the field in a season-low showing for a Maryville opponent this year.
There were no such issues for the Scots as the team scored 80 points or more for the fourth consecutive game. A total of 36 of those points came in the paint while 33 found the bottom of the net from deep.
Foot on the Gas
It was a close affair in the first 15 minutes of the game. The Scots were able to pull ahead by 10 but the Panthers came back within five with five minutes to go before the half.
Maryville did not allow the contest to get that close again. A Chase Ridenour 3-pointer set the Scots off on a 15-2 run that ran to the end of the half. In the aforementioned run, Maryville made six out of their last seven shots.
"Top to bottom, it was a really good performance from our guys," Placeres said. "We continue searching for that balance of being efficient both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor – trying to reach that perfect game, which I know we will never reach. But as the saying goes, when you chase perfection, you can catch excellence along the way."
The excellence continued into the second half where the lead only expanded for the Scots. Back-to-back jumpers for Myles Rasnick set off an 8-0 run for Maryville to increase the lead to 59-34 with around 12 minutes left in the game.
Rasnick, who tied his career-high assist mark with six, was one of five Scots in double figures. JR Sanders led the team with 15 points followed by Ridenour who had 13. Felix Uadiale was one rebound short of a double-double with 12 points and nine boards.
Success on and off the Court
A 37 point win is cause for celebration as well as the success in the classroom that Maryville got to enjoy before the Saturday contest.
"We had been off for eight days and our guys went through finals all week, but yesterday was a great day because we found out that 11 of our 17 student-athletes posted a 3.0 GPA or higher for the semester, and six of those guys are making the Dean's List," said Placeres.
Also worth celebrating is two more career highs being reached. Jekobe Coleman, the final Scot in double figures with 11 points, had a career-best three steals while Ridenour tied his career-high in rebounds with four.
Maryville faces a 7-1 Hampden-Sydney tomorrow at 2 p.m. to close out the Hampden-Sydney Classic. The Tigers are a perfect 2-0 in ODAC play and their lone loss this season was by five points to No. 12 Christopher Newport.
"Sunday is a huge game for us against a quality opponent on their home floor. It is another incredible challenge, and I look forward to seeing how we respond," added Placeres.
