BRUNSWICK, Maine – Junior Riles Neff poured in 35 points, including ten in the second overtime, as the Husson University men's basketball team earned a thrilling season-opening win over Bowdoin College on Friday evening at Morrell Gymnasium.
The opening half between the Eagles (1-0) and the Polar Bears (0-1) was a bucket-for-bucket affair that saw neither team gain any ground on the opposition, but it was Husson who took a 37-35 lead into the halftime break.
The Eagles concluded their first 20 minutes of the season shooting at a 50% clip and saw Neff and sophomore Eric Ahlers lead the way offensively, as they put in 11 and 10 respectively.
The back and forth contest would continue into the second half, but the Eagles would look to gain some ground on Bowdoin, as they would open up a 60-51 lead with just over eight minutes left on a jump shot by Ahlers. The Polar Bears had a run of their own in them as they countered with an 11-2 spurt of their own to tie the game up at 62 with 41 seconds left.
Husson would have a chance to win the game in regulation, but a step-back three-pointer by senior Scott Lewis didn't fall and the game would head to overtime.
The Eagles opened the overtime period strong and looked to have all-but sealed a seasoning-opening win for themselves after Lewis connected on a three with 1:29 left to give Husson a four-point lead. Bowdoin once again refused to go away, as they tied the game back up at 69 after two free throws and a layup. The Eagles had a final chance at the end of the first overtime, but were unable to get a shot off as the two teams would play another five minutes.
With Husson down 74-73 and 3:13 remaining on the clock in the second overtime, Neff took over the game. He led the Eagles on a 12-3 run and scored 10 of those points himself, as Husson led 85-77 late in the game. The Eagles would knock down their free throws and take care of the ball to help preserve their third-consecutive seasoning-opening win.
Neff finished with his 35 points on an efficient 13-23 shooting, including 3-5 from beyond the three-point line and 6-6 from the foul line. Neff also hauled in 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double in his debut with the Eagles.
Ahlers finished with a career-high 22 points off the bench for Husson, while Lewis also concluded his evening with a double-double as he scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Senior Jeremy Moronta rounded-out the double-digit scoring for the Eagles, as he finished with 11, in addition to grabbing six rebounds and dishing out four assists.
Husson will return home on Tuesday for its home-opener as it hosts the University of Maine at Fort Kent, with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
