VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Maryville College men's basketball team opened the Mark Sansone era in impressive fashion Saturday, earning a 72-53 victory over Washington & Lee University at the TowneBank Tipoff.
Freshman Jaylen Pompey led the Scots in his collegiate debut, pouring in 18 points while adding two steals, two rebounds and two assists. Veteran Matt Schneider controlled the paint with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. Kyle Cloninger, Javi Rosell, Collin Smith and David Stone also contributed offensively. Cloninger matched Schneider with a team-high six rebounds while leading the defensive effort with five steals.
Maryville shot 48.2 percent from the field and 78.6 percent at the free-throw line. The Scots also made the most of Washington & Lee's turnovers, converting them into 19 points while adding 36 points in the paint.
Washington & Lee opened the contest with the first two points, but Smith quickly answered with a three-pointer to spark the Maryville offense. Layups from Smith and Stone helped the Scots build an early advantage before Pompey capped the run with a triple, giving Maryville an 11-4 lead. The Generals gradually worked their way back into the contest, trimming the deficit to one midway through the opening half. However, a Schneider tip-in helped reignite the Scots' offense, and a Pompey fastbreak layup pushed the advantage to five. After Washington & Lee connected from beyond the arc, Rosell answered with a three-pointer of his own to make it 20-15.
Pompey continued to provide a spark, adding three more points before a Cloninger jumper extended the Maryville advantage to 25-18. The Scots maintained control over the next several minutes, trading baskets with the Generals while keeping their lead between seven and nine points. A Stone jumper pushed the advantage to nine, and Pompey followed with another bucket to maintain the cushion. Maryville closed the half strong, highlighted by an and-one opportunity converted by Rosell. Free throws from Cloninger and another Pompey finish, with the additional foul, helped the Scots build their largest lead of the half. Maryville carried a commanding 37-24 advantage into the break.
Washington & Lee opened the second half with a three-pointer, but Schneider answered with a layup inside. After a brief scoring drought, Rosell connected on a pair of free throws before Cloninger knocked down a three to keep the Scots comfortably ahead, 44-32.
Schneider took over from there, converting back-to-back layups before adding a three-pointer to push the Maryville advantage to 16. Pompey followed with a triple of his own, and layups from Cloninger and Stone continued to widen the gap. Schneider and Smith added midrange baskets as the Scots extended their lead to 23, their largest of the afternoon. Franklin, Schneider and Pompey helped Maryville maintain its advantage down the stretch, while Eli Owensby added the final points of the contest in his collegiate debut to seal the 72-53 victory.
The Scots will return to action Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2:00 PM against Batten University as they close out their appearance at the TowneBank Tipoff.
