BANGOR, Maine – The Husson University men's basketball team cruised to a 88-53 statement win over Maine Maritime Academy, in the North Atlantic Conference Quarterfinals at a packed Newman Gymnasium on Friday night.
After a back and forth first ten minutes of play, the traditional opening playoff game feeling-out period was over as the NAC East first-seeded Eagles (21-5) took firm control from the fourth-seeded Mariners (11-15) and never looked back.
Led early and often by freshman Andre McCauley, who scored 12 first-half points on 5-8 shooting from the field, Husson finished the final ten minutes of the first half in style on a 36-10 run. The Eagles' stifling defense and efficient shooting set the tone as they held MMA to just 19 first half points, allowing the Mariners to only shoot 25% from the field and 1-10 from 3-point land.
Husson shot 41% from beyond the arc in the first half, while also winning the hustle battle with nine offensive rebounds leading to nine second chance points and outmatched MMA 9-0 on the fastbreak, resulting in a 39-19 lead for the Eagles at the end of the half.
In the second half Husson continued to build on its lead by shooting 43% from the field and receiving a full-team effort, with four different Eagles ending the contest with double digit points. The team finished with 36 points in the paint, 24 fastbreak points, and 38 bench points in a game that saw every member of the Eagles getting minutes on the floor.
McCauley went on to finish with a game-leading 19 points, followed by sophomore Eric Ahlers with 14 points of his own, from 50% shooting and 4-7 from the three, and graduate student Derek Collin with 10 points and seven rebounds. The backcourt duo of Jeremy Moranta and Riles Neff were all over the court, oftentimes leading the Eagles in the fastbreak and applying defensive pressure. Moronta finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, while Neff ended his night with nine points, nine assists and six rebounds.
Husson's playoff run continues on Saturday afternoon by hosting the winner of two-seed University of Maine-Farmington and three-seed University of Maine-Presque Isle, in a highly anticipated NAC Semifinals at Newman Gymnasium.
