Column: Marist men have to win this weekend

   It might be hard for Marist fans who have experienced the last couple years to ignore that "Oh no, not again…" thought that's lurking in the back of their heads.

   It's not ready to come out quite yet. But it's there, ready to pounce.

   The Marist men's basketball team is on a five-game losing streak, with the closest margin of defeat in those five games being 10 points to MAAC cellar-dweller Canisius. Other losses came by 13, 24, 19 and 17.

   But this team is not down and out. They are not ready to be buried. However, things have to change soon – or even now.

   After an optimistic feeling following Marist's win over St. Peter's to reach .500, it has gone downhill, and fast. Right now, the Red Foxes are at 7-12 overall and 2-6 in the MAAC, sitting alone in ninth place. While the new McCann Arena has been generally friendly, they are an abysmal 0-8 in road games.

   That has to change this weekend.

   On Friday, Marist will travel up the Hudson to take on rival Siena at the Times Union Center. The Saints are coming off an emotional 65-62 victory over conference-favorite Iona and have now won five straight at home. This will be followed by a trip to take on Fairfield, which is 5-3 in conference. Neither is an easy task.

   If the Red Foxes fall in both, we will then be looking at a team that is 2-8 in the conference, on a seven-game losing streak, and has not won a road game in 10 tries. To make matters worse, a Manhattan team that held the Foxes to three field goals in the second half on Friday would be waiting next. That might kill any optimism that is still hanging around.

   It's not exactly last year, or definitely not the year before, head coach Chuck Martin said.

   "Half the team wasn't here," Martin said of the recent losing years. "They don't know anything else other than the five games."

   Sophomore forward Jay Bowie said that not much is different in the team's attitude due to the losing streak.

   "Nothing's changed from the beginning of the season," Bowie said. "We're all really good friends off the court, and that hasn't changed in the locker room. We're struggling right now, but no one's pointing fingers or anything. We're all good friends."

   Bowie, a starter, only played nine minutes in the Foxes' 61-44 loss to Manhattan on Friday. The Tampa, Fla. native is averaging 5.4 points per game and has found himself on the bench often in the second half. But still, Bowie is often the loudest cheerer from the bench and does not seem frustrated with his diminished role.

   "Chavaughn and Manny have been making plays, so I can't argue with that," Bowie said. "As long as we're winning, I don't mind. As long as we're competing, I don't mind."

   But how much more losing can happen before these guys start to mind?

   Martin described the Red Foxes' current mental state as "concerned" and "fragile."

   "I think our guys are concerned. I think we're concerned as a staff. This is the first time this year we've kinda run into something like this. So we know our guys are a little fragile."

   Concerned and fragile. Not down and out… yet. That's why this streak has to end this weekend.

   Martin said basketball execution isn't his entire focus in coaching this week.

   "My biggest concern is trying to handle these guys from the neck up," Martin said. "Physically they can play. Physically we can get back on track. We lost five in a row, we can win five in a row. But are we mentally tough enough to have the grit to pull ourselves out of it? That's the key."

   But what is it on the court that's contributed to five straight losses?

   Martin said that the second game the Foxes played against Rider, the Broncs came out with a zone defense, something Marist had not seen yet this year.

   "It worked," Martin said. "Other teams in the league saw it and everyone just said we'll play zone. So every team since the second Rider game has played a zone. So clearly we gotta get better against zones and feel more comfortable."

   There are other improvements Martin said were necessary to turn the losing ways around.

   "We have to become a more physical team," Martin said. "I know what Siena's gonna run, they know what we're going to run, so it's just a matter of are your players physical enough to execute it. Practice has become much more physical, much more competitive, and the energy's really gone through the roof."

   That last bit about the energy at practice ought to make Marist fans feel good about what's going on in the McCann Arena during the week.

   Martin knows what has to be done. The team knows what has to be done. The only question is whether or not it will be done.

   Siena on Friday night, Fairfield on Sunday afternoon.

   A win (or two) this weekend would not be just one more to add to the column in the standings. It could be proof that this program really has turned the corner. Two losses might bring us back to square one.