BANGOR, Maine – For the third time in the past four years the Husson University men's basketball team is in the North Atlantic Conference championship game, as the Eagles are set to host Vermont State University Johnson at Newman Gymnasium at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Husson earned a spot in the conference title game after defeating the University of Maine at Farmington for a second-consecutive year in the East Division championship, winning 69-58 this past Saturday over the Beavers.
Johnson secured an upset-victory over the top seed in the West Division, SUNY Delhi, on the same day as Husson's victory to make its first-ever appearance in the NAC championship game, by a score of 68-65.
REGULAR SEASON MEETING:
The Eagles and Badgers met once this year on Jan. 7, which saw Husson earn a 91-80 victory.
Johnson was able to compete early on in the contest and possessed a 32-25 lead late in the opening half, before the Eagles made a defensive adjustment and closed the first half on a 17-3 run.
The Badgers managed to put-together a push of their own to begin the second half to take a 52-50 lead, but another big outburst from the Eagles regained a double-figure edge for them and allowed them to come away with the win.
Senior Riles Neff led Husson with 30 points, while freshman Connor Heald posted 19 and graduate student Scott Lewis added a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double.
For Johnson, Raymond Baka and Matthew Carter contributed 22 and 21 points respectively to lead the team, while Jason Baker and Mohammed Semega posted 17 and 10 as well.
SERIES HISTORY:
Husson leads the all-time series with the Badgers 41-4 and is currently on a three-game win-streak with Johnson's last win coming during the 2019-20 season.
The Badgers have defeated the Eagles just once inside Newman Gymnasium with a 101-95 victory back in February of 2016.
BEHIND THE STATS:
The East Division-champion Eagles are led by the tandem of Neff and graduate student Jeremy Moronta.
Neff comes into Saturday's game averaging 17.5 points per game, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists, while shooting 49.2% from the floor and 43.4% from beyond the arc, while also shooting 80.8% from the foul line.
Moronta is second on the squad with 14.5 points per contest, in addition to leading the team in rebounds and averaging 8.1 boards per game and 3.4 assists. The Brooklyn, New York native is shooting just shy of 49% from the floor, in addition to 36% from the three-point line and 70.8% from the charity stripe while starting all 27 games for Husson this year.
As a team the Eagles are averaging 79.7 points per game, while allowing 71.8. Husson ranks inside the top 50 in all of Division III for rebounds per game (46th) and three-point percentage defense (43rd), in addition to ranking seventh in fewest fouls committed per game.
Johnson has a trio of players averaging better than 17 points per game, as Baka (20.0), Baker (19.2) and Matthew Carter (17.2) are accounting for nearly 73% of the scoring for the Badgers, who are averaging 77.3 points per game as a team.
Baka is currently second in Division III in total field goals made, in addition to ranking fifth in double-doubles, eighth in total rebounds, seventh in offensive rebounds per game and 11th in rebounds per game. The senior is averaging 11.4 boards per contest and is shooting 53.1% from the floor in 24 games played.
Baker has played in just 12 games this year with the Badgers, but is coming off of a 53-point performance in the NAC West Division semifinals against Vermont State University Lyndon, while Carter is connecting on 31.% of his three-point attempts.
WITH A WIN…
With a victory on Saturday, Husson will secure its second-consecutive NAC title, in addition to its third in four years and its 10th since 2009.
For the Badgers, a win would mean their first NAC title since joining the league and their first overall conference title since they won the Mayflower Conference Championship in 1995.
