College of Marin Men's Basketball rebounded from a season opening loss to grab a win in their home opener on Saturday. The Mariners outlasted the College of the Redwoods Corsairs in a 75-65 victory, delivering their previously undefeated opponents their first loss of the season. The Sophomore trio of Franco Barefield, Jalen Chandler and Ethan Battisini shined for Marin as each scored in double figures.
The Mariners got off to a bit of a slow start as they trailed 15-11 early on. They pulled with a pair with 7:34 left on the clock before taking a 31-29 lead in the final two minutes. Marin extended their advantage in the final seconds and led by five at 39-34 heading into halftime.
The pace of the game did not change in the second half as the Mariners excelled at getting quality looks. Tenacity on the glass paid dividends as Chandler's put back dunk put Marin ahead 48-42 with 13:26 left in regulation.
The Mariners extended their advantage to eight points at 54-46 but received a scare when Redwoods rallied for eight straight to tie the game at 54-54. The difference in the game came down to execution. Marin led by two points down the stretch but grabbed key rebounds and made their free throws. The final minute took nearly 10 minutes but the slow play, and free throw competition extended Marin's lead to the final score of 75-65.
The difference in the game was at the line as the Mariners made 22-30 free throws, while Redwoods made just 13-24.
Franco Barefield led Marin with 19 points on 5-10 shooting from the floor and 9-11 from the line. Jalen Chandler scored 18 points with a pair of made threes and nine rebounds. Battistini cleaned up inside with 12 rebounds to go with his 12 points.
Donald Willis led Redwoods with 20 points.
The Mariners have a short break before a pair of tough road games over the weekend. They visit Sonora to take on Columbia College on Saturday, November 9th and West Hills Lemoore on November 10th.
