MARYVILLE, Tenn. -- The Maryville men's basketball program secured an 81-73 overtime victory over Berea on Monday night inside Cooper Athletic Center, improving to 5-1 in the 2025-26 season. It was the Scots' first home contest of the year, and despite a rough start, Maryville found the spark it needed in the second half and carried that momentum into a dominant overtime performance.
"We found a way to win, and that's always an important thing," said Head Coach
Raul Placeres. "Jack hit some big shots in big moments, and that's what he does. Chase obviously with a double-double was key, and he was great in transition. R.J.'s minutes off the bench… that's the old R.J. That's the all-conference R.J. with a double-double."
Maryville put together a well-rounded offensive effort, led by 23 points from
Jackson Garner, who connected on six three-pointers and knocked down two crucial shots in the overtime period. Garner also added five assists and three rebounds in a performance that reflected both composure and confidence.
Chase Morgan contributed his excellent, early-season form, posting 17 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Morgan's energy on the glass and in transition set the tone throughout the second half.
Matt Schneider added 13 points and nine rebounds, nearly giving the Scots three double-doubles on the night, while
R.J. Simmons provided a major lift off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Scots opened the game with strong moments, starting with a Morgan dunk just 13 seconds in, and a fastbreak three from Garner, but Berea relied on hot shooting to build an early lead. Maryville kept pace with baskets from Morgan, Simmons, Schneider, and a late three from
Jaylon Green, heading into halftime trailing 45-37.
"This is what I said before the game with them," Placeres said. "Winning watches to see if you're confident and bold. There's a difference between lighting your own fire and waiting for someone to light it for you."
Maryville came out of the break with a renewed energy, sparked once again by Morgan, who scored back-to-back layups before adding a steal and a finish to bring the score to 49-43. Schneider continued to score inside, Simmons attacked downhill, and
Jett Sutton hit a transition three as the Scots steadily trimmed at the deficit. With 7:28 remaining, Garner drilled a deep three to bring Maryville within one, and two possessions later,
Javi Rosell knocked down a three-pointer to give the Scots their first lead since the opening minutes.
A late Berea layup tied the game at 67-67 in the final seconds, but once the game reached overtime, the Scots took full command. Simmons opened the scoring at the line, Morgan followed with two more free throws, and Garner delivered the blow with back-to-back threes, extending the lead to 76-67. Schneider and
Collin Smith secured critical stops, and with 33 seconds left, Smith made his mark with a dunk off a Morgan assist. Maryville outscored Berea 14-6 in the extra period. "We found some plays," Placeres said. "Those were big plays. That dunk late, those threes — we found a way to win."
The Scots' depth once again proved valuable, outscoring Berea's bench, 25-10 and providing key defensive minutes throughout. Placeres pointed to that versatility as an encouraging sign moving forward. "Our freshman guard hit a really big shot in the first half to kind of calm down some of our nerves," he said. "He dove on the floor down there. He's a special young man with special talent."
Maryville now travels to Washington, Pennsylvania, for the Washington & Jefferson Invitational this weekend, kicking off with a nationally ranked matchup against No. 8 Carthage. "We're reinventing ourselves," he said. "We're minus two guys. It's a long season. And again, we found a way to win, but we've got to continue to get better."
