2023-24 UAlbany Men’s Basketball Season Recap

UAlbany Men’s Basketball: A Season Recap

The UAlbany men’s basketball⁣ program has had⁢ an exciting start⁢ to the 2023-24 season, with a 6-5 ‌record through its non-conference ‍games. The team’s next game is tonight at home against Sacred Heart. Click ⁢into each‌ link for the team’s roster, schedule, and statistics. Here is a ⁣game-by-game recap of⁤ the Great ‌Danes’ season so far.

GAME‌ 11: DREXEL 71, UALBANY 52

When & ⁤Where: Dec. 16 at Daskalakis Athletic Center

Quick Recap: The Great Danes‌ kept things relatively close⁣ in the first half, ​trailing 33-25 after 20 minutes, but Drexel started the second ⁤half with a 14-3 run and ‍led by as many as 22 to cruise‌ to victory. Amari Williams had 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead a⁣ balanced effort for the Dragons. Amar’e Marshall and Sebastian Thomas led UAlbany with 10 points each, while Jonathan Beagle added nine points and eight rebounds.

Stat To Know: Drexel dominated the glass, finishing with a 54-26 rebounding average ‍and grabbing 19 offensive boards.

Record: 6-5 overall

GAME 10: TEMPLE 78, UALBANY 73

When & Where: Dec. 10 ⁤at Barclays Center

Quick Recap: The Great ⁢Danes stayed with their opponent from the American Athletic Conference, but could never break through as their five-game winning streak came ⁢to a ‌close in Brooklyn. UAlbany only ever led‍ at 2-0, but was rarely down more than a⁢ few possessions against the Owls. Sebastian Thomas⁢ had ‌18 points for the Great⁢ Danes, Jonathan Beagle produced a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Tyler Bertram added 15 points.

Stat To Know: ⁤UAlbany had no answer for‍ Hysier Miller, who scored 28 points.

Record: 6-4 overall

GAME 9: UALBANY 98, SUNY POTSDAM 59

When & Where: Dec. 5 at‍ Broadview Center

Quick Recap: After not appearing in a game for 388 days, redshirt sophomore Justin Neely made his return from a left ACL injury. Neely ended up with ‌five points, two rebounds, and three steals in 13 minutes. UAlbany led 56-29 at the half and by as many as 43 points in the second half against its Division III opponent. Ten UAlbany players scored at least⁤ six⁢ points, and Marcus Jackson and Tyler Bertram led the way with a dozen each.

Stat To Know: The win was⁤ UAlbany’s fifth in⁤ a row. The Great Danes ⁢last won at least five consecutive games when they started the 2017-18 season with six ‍wins.

Record: 6-3⁢ overall

GAME 8: UALBANY 73,‍ DARTMOUTH 68

When & Where: Dec. 2 at Broadview Center

Quick Recap: The Great Danes picked up their fourth⁣ consecutive win on the strength of solid ‌games from Jonathan Beagle, Amar’e Marshall, and Sebastian Thomas. Beagle produced a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, Thomas had⁤ 24 points and six assists, and Marshall scored 12 points despite a 5 of 17 shooting night. The game featured ⁣eight lead changes and⁣ a dozen ties, but UAlbany led for all of the final 7:47 after a basket from Marshall put the Great Danes ahead 54-52. UAlbany led ⁤by as many as eight points in the final minutes, and ⁤had a multiple-possession lead for the final five‌ minutes.

Stat To Know: Beagle’s 14‍ rebounds were⁤ a‍ season-high total and one off the career-high he set ‍as a ‍freshman.

Record: ⁢5-3 overall

GAME 7: UALBANY 86, BOSTON UNIVERSITY ⁤72

When & Where: Nov. 29 at Broadview Center

Quick ‍Recap: Playing for the first time at the renovated Broadview Center, UAlbany pulled ⁤away late. The Great Danes led 56-53 with eight minutes to go, then went on a 10-2 run to take control. Off the bench, Tyler Bertram led UAlbany with 20 points. Bertram made 6 of 10 3s. In all, five⁣ Great Danes recorded double-digit scoring. After Bertram, Sebastian Thomas scored 16 points,⁢ Jonathan Beagle and ⁣Amar’e Marshall each had 14, and Ny’Mire Little scored 10. Thomas also added ‌10 assists.

Stat To Know: With the win, UAlbany moved above .500 for the first time since late in the 2019-20 ⁢season,⁢ a campaign⁤ the club finished at 14-18 for then-head coach Will Brown. UAlbany finished 7-9 in an abridged 2021-22 season that was Brown’s last one with the Great ⁢Danes, who were 13-18 and 8-23 in Dwayne Killings’ first two seasons leading the program.

Record: 4-3 overall

GAME 6: UALBANY 86, SIENA 51

When & ​Where: Nov. 26 at MVP Arena

Quick Recap: ⁤In the most-lopsided Albany Cup, the Great Danes stormed to a 35-point victory. UAlbany and Siena were tied at 23 late in the first half, then the Great Danes scored the game’s next 20 points. UAlbany led by as ⁤many⁣ as 37 points in the second half. Amar’e Marshall starred with a career-high 33⁢ points and eight rebounds, and produced a pair of highlight-worthy dunks as ‌part of his offensive effort. Sebastian Thomas⁢ scored⁤ all 14 of his points ‌after halftime, while Jonathan Beagle⁤ added ‌13 points in‍ the ​win.

Stat ⁤To ⁢Know: Thomas’‍ 33 points was three shy ​of the Albany Cup record set by E.J. Gallup for UAlbany in⁤ the first-ever Albany Cup⁢ game in 2001.

Record: 3-3 overall

GAME 5: UALBANY 62, ARMY 59

When & Where: Nov. 21 at Cool Insuring Arena

Quick Recap: In a homecoming game‍ for Hudson Falls native Jonathan Beagle, the Great Danes held on for their second win of the season. UAlbany led by as many as 15 points in the ​first half, then needed a go-ahead 3-pointer from ​Sebastian Thomas with 27.2⁢ seconds to play.⁢ Thomas finished ⁤17 points, while ⁣Amar’e Marshall and Aaron Reddish each scored 16. Beagle had six points and ⁢11 rebounds.

Stat To Know: UAlbany ⁢won despite committing six more turnovers and committing seven more ​fouls than Army.

Record: 2-3 overall

GAME 4: QUINNIPIAC 85, UALBANY 82

When & Where: Nov. ⁤19 at M&T Bank Arena

Quick Recap: UAlbany led for 77.2%‍ of Sunday’s contest and didn’t trail⁣ in the second half until there was​ 2:07 to go. After falling behind 78-77, UAlbany’s Amar’e Marshall was fouled on a ⁤3-pointer and made ‌all of the free throws to put the Great ‌Danes back ahead . . . only for⁣ UAlbany to foul Quinnipiac’s Matt Balanc, on the ensuing possession, as he attempted a 3. ‌Balanc made all three free throws, but UAlbany answered with a go-ahead​ bucket from Tyler Bertram. ​Balanc answered again with a layup to⁣ make it 83-82, and Marshall missed with his‌ attempt. UAlbany got the defensive stop it needed after Marshall’s miss, but the Great⁢ Danes allowed Quinnipiac its 14th offensive rebound of the game. Amarri Tice controlled that⁣ rebound, made a pair of free throws and UAlbany’s final possession ended with a missed 3 from Bertram. For UAlbany, Marshall and⁢ Sebastian Thomas each scored 19 points, as four Great Danes​ registered double-digit outings. Marshall needed ⁢17‍ shots, though, to record‌ his points, while ‍Thomas scored all of his points in ⁢the first half.

Stat To Know: ⁢ Thomas scored all of his points in the first half. The guard dealt with foul trouble ​and missed most of​ the second half. In all, he played 25 minutes.

Record: 1-3 overall

GAME 3: SETON HALL 96, UALBANY 71

When & Where: Nov. 15 at Prudential Center

Quick Recap: Big East foe Seton Hall cruised past the Great Danes.⁢ UAlbany trailed 54-39 at halftime. ‌In the opening 20 minutes, Seton Hall made ⁣70% of its shots. After halftime, Seton Hall cooled ​off some, but never saw its lead dwindle to fewer than 15 points and led⁢ by as many as 29. For the game, the Pirates made 36 ⁤of 58 shots. Amar’e Marshall led UAlbany with⁣ 21 points, while Aaron Reddish added a dozen off the team’s bench. Jonathan Beagle had eight points⁣ and seven rebounds.

Stat To ‍Know: Seton Hall scored 58 of its​ points in the paint.

Record: 1-2 overall

GAME 2: UALBANY 78, COLUMBIA 75

When & Where: ⁤Nov. 11 at Levien Gymnasium

Quick Recap: The Great Danes led by as many as 14 points, only for Columbia to surge back into the game. But, point guard Sebastian Thomas finished off⁣ a brilliant game by making the go-ahead basket ​with 26 seconds left ‍in regulation. Thomas finished with 24 points on 7 of 16 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds,⁣ dished out five assists and turned the ball over just⁢ once in a team-high 38 minutes. In addition to Thomas’ ‌big game, Jonathan Beagle ⁣had 20 points on 9 of 12 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for the ‍Great Danes.⁤ Amar’e Marshall chipped in 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, and Tyler Bertram tallied ⁤13 points and five ⁢rebounds. Marcus Jackson, who missed UAlbany’s‍ season-opening loss to UMass with an injured left wrist, made⁢ his season debut and contributed five points in ⁢22 minutes off the bench.

Stat To Know: Thomas’ 24 points set a‍ career-high.

Record: 1-1 overall

GAME 1:⁣ UMASS 92, UALBANY 71

When & ​Where: Nov. 7 at ⁤Mullins Center

Quick Recap: UMass started the game with a 12-0 run. UAlbany answered with a 15-5 run, but UMass then offered an 18-2 surge. UMass took a 46-26 lead into halftime, and the Minutemen’s lead grew to as many as ‍30 points in the second half. A bright spot for the Great​ Danes was Sebastian Thomas who led UAlbany⁢ with⁢ 19 points in 24 minutes. Tyler Bertram, another‍ incoming transfer,⁣ added‌ 11 points. Aaron Reddish had nine points ⁢and eight rebounds off the UAlbany‍ bench.

Stat To ⁤Know: UAlbany played the game without two potential starters in ​guard Marcus Jackson (wrist) and Justin Neely ‍(knee).

Record: ⁤ 0-1 overall