ARLINGTON, Va. – A second-half push by the Marymount men's basketball team including a crowd-rising dunk by senior Dimitri Rucker wasn't enough to hand undefeated York College of Pennsylvania its first loss of the season, as the Spartans topped the Saints, 88-76, on Saturday afternoon in Capital Athletic Conference play. 

Although Marymount its best shooting percentage since February 3, 2016, with a strong 57.1 percent from the floor, York had 14 more attempts that was enough to hold out for the 12-point spread. 

Of the Spartans' 63 attempts, 22 were from beyond the arc where they shot 54.5 percent for 12 three-pointers. 

On the defensive end, the Saints held strong. Forcing 20 York turnovers, including 10 steals led by a game-high four by sophomore Josh Giardina, MU held the Spartans to 38 second-half points while it put up 48 of its own. 

Rucker, who put down a posterizing dunk over York senior and CAC second-leading scorer Blayde Reich, paced the Saints with a team-high 18 points (8-for-12 FG) and game-high eight rebounds. Sophomore Taiga Walker and Giardina each added 13 points, while freshman Kiran Durant tallied a game-high five assists. 

The men take a short hiatus from league play until the New Year, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan for their next matchup on Monday, December 18. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., in the Verizon Sports Arena.