FARMINGTON, Maine - Husson University's men's basketball team used a 12-4 run to break open a 56-56 tie and grab the lead for good, taking down the host University of Maine at Farmington, 88-80 in a hard fought North Atlantic Conference (NAC) contest inside Dearborn Gymnasium on Monday evening.
The opening half was a game of runs as the teams jockeyed with one another for momentum. The Beavers struck first in the game, jumping out to a quick 7-2 lead, using strong team defense to contest every Husson shot and make life difficult on their opponents. Riles Neff righted the ship for the Eagles, taking control on the offensive end of the floor. Neff hit got into the lane, converted a layup, got fouled and drilled a layup to settle the nerves of the visiting Eagles.
Two possessions later, the Eagles forced a Beavers turnover and Jared Balser fouled up a missed layup with a loud dunk as the momentum started to swing in favor of Husson. After another Beavers turnover, Neff drilled a three from the top of the key to knot the game up at ten apiece.
A quick 8-0 run highlighted by threes from Andre McCaulley and Neff, as well as another and-one opportunity from Neff gave the Eagles a 7-point lead.
After a Luke Caruso three at the eight minute mark of the 1st half gave the Eagles their biggest 1st half lead at 30-22, the Beavers responded, going on a massive 22-7 run to take a seven-point lead with under a minute to go in the half. Reigning NAC Player of the Week
Will Harriman (Biddeford, Maine) sparked the run, scoring ten points and knocking down a pair of threes.
Patrick McKenney (Newcastle, Maine) provided an important spark as well for the Beavers during the run, breaking down the defense and finding open shooters.
A Neff free throw and put back from Scott Lewis helped the Eagles cut into the deficit as the Beavers took a 44-40 lead into the halftime intermission.
The opening minutes of the 2nd half belonged to first-year
Brock Flagg (Brewer, Maine). Flagg was a difference maker on both ends of the court. He scored the first eight Beaver points of the 2nd half as well as recording a big steal on the defensive end.
Every bucket Flagg scored in the opening minutes of the 2nd half, the Eagles had an answer, keeping the game a one-possession contest for the first six-minutes of the half. A Jeremy Moronta three gave the Eagles a 56-52 lead while back to back layups from
Jordan Anthony (Farmington, Conn.) knotted the game up at 56 just inside 13 minutes to play.
Neff took the game into his own hands, sparking the 12-4 run as the Eagles took the lead for good to grab their 13th win of the season. Neff scored seven points and added a big assist on another Caruso three to help the Eagles form some breathing room.
The Beavers did not go down easy however.
Simon Chadbourne (Portland, Maine) hit three straight threes for the Beavers, the last of which cut the deficit to four. An Anthony dunk in transition cut the Husson lead to just two with 2:26 to play. But consecutive layup from Lewis were the finishing touches on the victory and the Eagles hit their free throws down the stretch in picking up an important NAC victory.
The Beavers had five players in double figures, led by Harriman's 17 point and eight rebound performance. Chadbourne added 16 points, knocking down four big threes. Anthony finished with 14 points while Flagg pitched in with 12.
Dylan Griffin (Saco, Maine) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Neff scored a game-high 27 points on 8-15 shooting from the field, including a perfect 3-3 from downtown. Neff also pitched in with seven boards and four assists. McCauley and Lewis each added 13 points while Moronta stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.
The Eagles shot an ultra-efficient 54.4% from the field and 55.0% from beyond the arc for the game. The Beavers shot 41.6% from the field and just 27.3% from three in the loss.
UP NEXT
The Beavers hit the road on Friday evening, taking on SUNY Delhi in a rematch of last season's NAC Championship. The game is set to tip-off at 5:30 PM.
