MARYVILLE, Tenn. -- The Maryville men's basketball program delivered one of its most skilled offensive performances of the season on Monday night, powering past Hanover 84-68 inside Cooper Athletic Center to improve to 7-2 overall.
Playing their ninth game in just 16 days, the Scots put together an efficient shooting display, finishing at 50.8 percent from the field and 48.0 percent from three-point range. Maryville's trio of
Chase Morgan,
Jackson Garner, and
Matt Schneider combined for 58 points on 23-of-43 shooting, an efficiency Head Coach
Raul Placeres praised afterward. "When you can almost score 60 points by your big three, you're gonna be okay. All three of them - fantastic basketball players, extremely efficient tonight." Morgan led the attack with 26 points, adding seven rebounds and two blocks, while Garner and Schneider each contributed 16 points and shot a combined 6-of-14 from deep.
Javi Rosell continued to shine at point guard, adding nine points and six assists while controlling the pace of the game.
The Scots opened the game with immediate energy, scoring on its first two possessions. Morgan's strong take inside set the tone, followed moments later by a transition three from Schneider to make it 5–0. After Hanover hit a three to get on the board, Maryville answered with another explosive stretch.
R.J. Simmons found Schneider for a corner three, and Rosell drained a shot moments later. At the first media break, the Scots were hitting rhythm shots and moving the ball effortlessly, something Placeres praised: "We shared the ball extremely well today… we took advantage of them in space."
Hanover briefly tied the game at 10–10, but Maryville responded immediately. Rosell hit a three off a kickout from Schneider,
Collin Smith added a jumper, and the Scots continued pushing pace by isolating favorable matchups. Midway through the half, the Scots surged again. After Garner checked back in, he hit a three to put Maryville back in front before Schneider buried another.
Jaylon Green added a three off an assist from Morgan, and Garner hit a jumper to extend the lead to 38–29. In the closing minute, Garner rose up for a three to beat the shot clock, pushing the halftime lead to 43–31.
In the second half, Maryville immediately reestablished control. Morgan scored three straight baskets in the paint, Schneider knocked down another three, and the margin grew to 18. Rosell continued orchestrating the offense, highlighted by the play Placeres later joked about: "Javi probably had the play of the night. He looked like—none of these young kids will know—but it was like Bob Cousy out there, just dribbling around like it was a circus." Maryville's defensive presence tightened as well, mixing man and zone to disrupt rhythm. "We challenged them today," Placeres said. "The emphasis was on defense, sticking to our principles. We out-rebounded them, took care of the basketball, and mixed our man and zones. I think our zone in the first half really turned the game." The Scots pushed the lead to 20 midway through the half on a Morgan dunk, then extended it further when Garner and Morgan scored on consecutive drives. As the clock ran out, Maryville controlled the pace, and they closed the night with the togetherness it started with. "I've basically coached three different teams already this year with injuries," Placeres said. "And we're sitting here at 7-2. We're two possessions from being 9-0. It speaks to our depth and our next-man-up mentality."
The Scots are back in action Friday, December 5th at 7:00 PM to take on Johnson & Wales during the Renasant Bank Classic.
