FARMINGTON, Maine – After an evenly matched first half ending in a 40-40 duel, Husson's MVP Justin Martin and Justin Thompson stepped up the intensity in the second half to take down the Thomas College Terriers, 82-67, to win their seventh North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship.

1st Half:

Hitting the floor strong, Zach Mackinnon put up five early points for the Terriers (14-13) to help string together a quick 10-4 advantage just four minutes into the action. Thanks to a Justin Martin block followed up by Bruce St. Peter driving to the basket, the Eagles swiftly closed the gap to one point, 10-9, within the next 60 seconds. 

The two teams swapped baskets over the next few minutes, but Mackinnon maintained a steady separation for Thomas after draining yet another 3-point bucket, 22-16, with 12 minutes left in the half. 

Following nearly two minutes in a deadlock, Thompson broke the silence on a layup to capture Husson's first advantage of the game with 7:49 on the clock. Triggering a 13-3 run, the Eagles found their second win breaking away, 38-29, with a tightknit defense holding the Terriers at 29 points for nearly three minutes. Thomas wasn't silenced for long as Jordan Goodson stepped up to the free throw line tossing in two buckets with ease to spark an 11-2 comeback over the final minutes of the half leaving both teams at a 40-40 stalemate.

2nd Half:

Finding the first basket of the second half, St. Peter stepped in for Husson with determination as he scored within seconds of the first whistle to break the tie. Thompson and Martin continued to distance the Eagles from the Terriers putting a ten-point, 52-42, separation between the rivals over the opening three minutes of the half. A Loveguerson Fleurine layup brought the score back to a single digit gap, but Husson's DJ Bussey hit a deep three to extend their advantage back into the double digits, 57-46, at the 15-minute mark. 

Husson continued to put on the pressure in the remaining minutes to maintain a comfortable cushion on the scoreboard as they defeated Thomas College, 82-67, in the NAC Championship to move on to the NCAA Tournament. 

Husson Leaders:

Hitting a consistent 13 points in each half, Martin led all scorers accumulating 26 points while shooting 6-6 from the charity stripe, coming down with four blocks, and nine boards. 

Thompson was a huge contributor to the win, netting 19 points, dishing six assists, and picking up six rebounds.

Off the bench, Cunninham added on eight points and five rebounds.

Thomas Leaders:

Posting an unreal first half, Mackinnon led his team with 16 points in just 19 minutes and closed out the night with 18 points overall, shooting 4-5 from 3-point range.

Both Goodson and Justin Butler shot 100% from the charity stripe while contributing 13 points apiece. 

Fleurine added on 11 points and five boards.

All-Tournament Team

UP NEXT!

With the victory, the Eagles defeated the Terriers for the third time in a NAC Championship game, as they continue on to the NCAA Tournament for their 20th national tournament appearance in program history. The NCAA selection show will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, February 25th to determine their opponent.