HUNTINGDON, Ala. — The Maryville men's basketball program opened Collegiate Conference of the South play in emphatic fashion on Thursday evening, defeating Huntingdon 101–86 at Roland Arena.
The win improves Maryville to 10–4 overall and 1–0 in conference play, while Huntingdon falls to 7–7 overall and 0–1 in the CCS. The Scots have now won six straight games at Roland Arena, remaining unbeaten on Huntingdon's home floor since 2018. The victory also carried added significance, as Maryville improved to 52–7 all-time in the series, while Head Coach
Raul Placeres moved to 13–1 against the Hawks after last season's heartbreaking 93–92 loss in the CCS Championship game.
"Our motto all year is that our pain is our fuel," said Head Coach
Raul Placeres. "The pain of losing in the conference championship last year is something we haven't forgotten. Ironically, we open conference play against Huntingdon this year, so that was added motivation for us tonight."
Chase Morgan led all Maryville scorers with 28 points on an efficient 11-of-14 shooting from the field, while adding six rebounds, one block, and a career high of nine assists. Morgan's dominance continued into the second half, scoring 15 points as the Scots pulled away.
Matthew Schneider followed closely behind with 24 points, shooting 10-of-15 from the field and knocking down four three-pointers. Schneider also contributed six rebounds, one block, and one steal.
"Chase is not only one of the better post players in our conference, but one of the better post players in the country," Placeres said. "We knew he was going to see a lot of double teams tonight, and I'm most proud of the way he handled that. He made the right reads all night and finished with a career-high nine assists, which is huge for a center."
Javi Rosell chipped in 12 points while dishing out six assists, and
R.J. Simmons provided a spark off the bench with nine points and six rebounds.
Jamal Ware added seven points, six rebounds, and two steals, as Maryville's bench accounted for 25 points.
Maryville finished the night shooting 56.1 percent from the field and exploded for 64 points in the second half. The Scots controlled the paint, scoring 54 points inside, while also capitalizing on 18 points off turnovers.
"We didn't respond very well in the first half," Placeres said. "You don't win a game in 20 minutes — you have to put a full 40 together. I thought we definitely did that in the second half."
The opening half was tightly contested, with both teams trading baskets early. Morgan set the tone inside for Maryville, scoring on consecutive possessions to help the Scots establish an early presence, while Schneider and Simmons added timely buckets to keep the offense moving.
Huntingdon answered with a strong stretch of play, using a balanced scoring attack to pull ahead midway through the period. The Hawks capitalized on second-chance opportunities and outside looks, gradually extending their lead to as many as 11 points as Maryville worked through stretches of offensive inconsistency.
Despite the deficit, the Scots refused to let the game get away from them. Simmons provided a spark off the bench, while
Jett Sutton knocked down a late three-pointer to halt Huntingdon's momentum. Free throws from
Kobe Franklin and steady play from Morgan allowed Maryville to chip away in the closing minutes, trimming the Hawks' lead to just three points at halftime, 40–37.
Maryville came out of the locker room with renewed energy and wasted little time flipping the script. Schneider opened the second half with a three-pointer to tie the game, and the Scots quickly began to find their rhythm on the offensive end.
Rosell ignited a run to start the half, attacking the paint and creating opportunities for both himself and the Scots. Morgan followed with a pair of strong finishes inside, while Ware applied defensive pressure that led to transition opportunities as Maryville built its first multi-possession lead of the night.
Huntingdon attempted to respond behind scoring, but each push was met with timely answers from the Scots. Baskets from Schneider and Morgan, combined with execution at the free-throw line, allowed Maryville to maintain control as the lead steadily grew.
A three-pointer from
Jackson Garner midway through the second half pushed the advantage into double figures, and the Scots maintained the lead from then on. Maryville continued to pound the paint while forcing turnovers on the defensive end, stretching the lead to as many as 16 points in the closing minutes.
"I thought Javi starting the second half was really big for us," Placeres said. "And at the end of the first half,
Jaylon Green,
Kobe Franklin,
Jett Sutton, and
R.J. Simmons gave us great minutes to help get us back into the game. It was a total team effort."
Down the stretch, the Scots remained composed, closing out the game with efficient possessions and strong team defense to secure the 101–86 conference-opening victory on the road.
"When you get picked to win the league for the sixth consecutive year, you're always going to get everyone's best," Placeres said. "We know that, and I thought our guys handled that challenge really well tonight."
Maryville will look to build on its strong start to conference play as the Scots continue CCS action on the road in a matchup against LaGrange tomorrow, at 4:00 PM.
