MILLTOWN — Saint Mark’s boys basketball team could not overcome cold shooting in the second and third quarters as Dickinson took a 58-44 season-opening win on Dec. 4.
The Spartans got six points from Jabri White in the opening eight minutes on their way to an 11-8 lead. But the Rams would outscore Saint Mark’s, 30-12, over the next two quarters, using their length to consistently grab rebounds on both ends of the court, which they turned into a bunch of transition field goals.
Saint Mark’s scored the final seven points of the first, but Quadir Hunter began the second with a corner three-point shot. After another Rams bucket, Jaylen Jenkins converted a steal into a layup to extend Dickinson’s run to seven and lead to four. The Rams would add two more points before Jude Schnatterer ended the run with a three-pointer.
Dickinson used a strong third quarter to turn a four-point halftime advantage into a big lead heading into the fourth. The second half began for the Rams with another three, this one by Jenkins, but the visitors did the rest of their damage inside. Marukel Harrigan scored eight points in the third and Hunter added three field goals. The Spartans struggled from the field and trailed, 38-23, after three.
The Rams continued to go inside, and the Spartans committed some costly miscues as the fourth began, but before long, both teams had found the shooting stroke. Blaec Sanders drained a pair of triples during the fourth, and White re-established his inside offensive game, but Saint Mark’s was matched nearly point-for-point throughout the stanza.
The Spartans cut the lead to 10 with 57.7 seconds remaining, but the Rams hit four of six free throws as the clock ran down to seal the victory.
Harrigan led the Rams with 17 points, while Hunter had 15 and Bry’cere Spratley 10. Dickinson (1-0) hosts Odyssey Charter on Friday at 7:45 p.m. in the Dickinson Winter Classic.
For the Spartans (0-1), White scored 14 points, followed by Dom Shepherd, who had 11, and Sanders, who finished with eight. Saint Mark’s travels to McKean on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
