WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Maryville men's basketball program delivered one of its most impressive performances of the season on Friday afternoon, earning a 78-66 win over #8 Carthage in the opening round of the Great Lakes Invitational.
The victory improves the Scots to 6-1 overall, showcasing the balance and toughness that have defined their early-season identity. It also stands as Maryville's biggest win of the D3hoops era — the program's most significant victory since upsetting No. 1 Hampden-Sydney in the 2000 NCAA Second Round.
Head Coach Raul Placeres set the tone postgame, saying, "Been extremely pleased and proud of the performance we put together. That's an outstanding team. That's a top ten team in the country. We knew we had to play our best today and bring a defensive intensity that we didn't show Tuesday night." Placeres added that holding Carthage to 38 percent shooting while the Scots hit 44Â percent from beyond the arc "is a remarkable feat against a team like this." Maryville finished the afternoon shooting 44.4 percent from the field, including an efficient 11-of-26 from beyond the arc and a season-best 82.6 percent at the free-throw line.
The game opened with both sides searching for offensive rhythm. Carthage struck first from deep, quickly building a 9-2 advantage off a series of drives. From there, Maryville settled in once Jackson Garner hit back-to-back free throws to stop Carthage's early run. A minute later, Garner drained the first three of the game, cutting the deficit to 9-7 and swinging the momentum sharply in the Scots' favor.
Maryville's first lead came at the 9:01 mark, when Chase Morgan finished at the rim after absorbing contact, pushing the score to 19-17. The layup was part of a personal surge in which Morgan scored nine points in just over three minutes, stretching the advantage to 26-17 and igniting the Maryville bench. A Garner pull-up inside the lane extended the margin to 11, and moments later, R.J. Simmons knocked down two free throws to make it 30-17. The Scots' defensive presence continued to stifle Carthage, highlighted by blocks from Morgan and Collin Smith, and two steals from Matt Schneider. A late push from Carthage trimmed the gap briefly, but Kobe Franklin responded with a three of his own to send Maryville into halftime with a commanding 40-26 lead.
"We talked about winning and today being big for us," Placeres said. "Winning has zero tolerance for soft, weak, or doubt. I wanted our guys to show confidence and togetherness, and they were dialed in today."
On the Scots' first possession of the second half, Morgan buried a mid-range jumper to push the lead to 16. Javi Rosell added a pair of baskets inside the paint, including a layup at 15:59 that made it 51-30, marking Maryville's largest lead of the afternoon. Carthage responded with a small run, but Smith, Rosell, and Schneider each contributed defensive stops that prevented a major shift. At the 11:38 mark, Garner buried a deep three off a kick-out from Schneider, stretching the advantage back to 56-43. Simmons delivered one of the game's biggest moments with 7:04 remaining, knocking down a three off a Smith assist to make it 67-52. Schneider added a layup moments later, and Franklin and Morgan cleaned the glass during a stretch that prevented Carthage from threatening the lead. Carthage made one final push in the closing minutes, shrinking the margin to single digits, but Smith, Morgan, and Rosell converted free throws in the final two minutes, sealing the win for Maryville.
The Scots' bench energy was a critical factor, something both Morgan and Smith emphasized postgame. "That means everything... it shows that we're together," Morgan said. Smith echoed, "Some people might not play the most, but when they bring energy, it has just as much of an impact as someone who plays a lot."
Placeres later reflected on the significance of the win. "In the D3hoops era, this is our most significant ranked win in my tenure," he said. "The biggest win since any of these guys have been alive. No question."
The Scots are back in action tomorrow, November 22nd at 7:30 PM, wrapping up their time at the Great Lakes Invitational with a contest against Washington & Jefferson.
