Written by; Jameson Bloch
FARMINGTON, Maine — The North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Men's Basketball Championship will feature the third-seeded UMaine Presque Isle Owls taking on the top-seeded UMaine Farmington Beavers on Saturday, February 28, at 1 pm.
Semifinal Recap
Last Sunday, Presque Isle traveled to Bangor to face second-seeded Husson University. The first half was dominated by defense, as both teams shot 35 percent or lower from the field.
Ahke McMichael (St. Petersburg, Florida) led UMPI's charge, while Andre McCauley (Upper Marlboro, Maryland) paced Husson, with both players taking over in the second half. With four seconds remaining in regulation, UMPI had a chance to win, but Doug McCalla (West Palm Beach, Florida) missed the game-winning shot, sending the contest into overtime.
In the extra period, UMPI jumped out to a seven-point lead, with five of those points coming from junior guard Tariq Martin (Baltimore, Maryland). Husson was unable to mount a comeback, and the Owls secured a 78-74 victory. McMichael finished with 23 points in the win, while McCauley recorded a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
While the overtime thriller was unfolding in Bangor, Farmington was firmly in control on its home court. The Beavers hosted fifth-seeded SUNY Cobleskill and dominated from the opening tip. In the first nine minutes, UMF scored 31 points to build a 21-point lead.
Farmington's defense was equally impressive, holding the Tigers to 32 percent shooting from the field. Sophomore guard Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine) poured in a career-high 40 points, while junior forward Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine) controlled the glass with 19 rebounds.
Past Matchups
The Beavers have defeated the Owls twice this season, winning 87-49 at home on December 12th before capturing a 77-62 win in Presque Isle on January 24th. UMPI was without McCalla for the first matchup as the Beavers went wire-to-wire, holding the Owls to just 33.3% shooting from the floor. Farmington got contributions from up and down their roster in the game, as nine of the 11 players who saw time in the game recorded five or more points.
In the second matchup, the Owls trailed by just two with 2:45 left until halftime. Farmington rattled off an extended 14-2 run over the closing minutes of the first half and the opening three minutes of the second half to open up a 14-point lead and never looked back in completing the regular season sweep of UMPI. Farmington was paced by McLaughlin and Reynolds who combined for 44 of the teams 77.
Both teams enter the championship game playing strong basketball down the stretch. UMPI has won 13 of its last 15 games, while UMF has captured 14 of its last 16.
Key Players
UMF:
McLaughlin looks to continue his scoring surge after posting a career high in the semifinal, a performance that raised his season average to 26.1 points per game, which ranks fourth in Division III. Reynolds will once again focus on controlling the glass, as he averages 15.3 rebounds per game, which leads Division III, while also contributing 17.2 points per contest. Junior forward Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) serves as a pivotal sixth man, averaging 13.1 points per game and providing a spark off the bench for the Beavers. Sophomore Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine) will facilitate the Beavers' offense after dishing out eight assists in the semifinal matchup. He now averages 6.0 assists per game, ranking 11th in Division III.
UMPI:
Ahke McMichael will lead the Owls' scoring effort after pacing the team with 21 points in the semifinal. He averages 16.2 points per game and does a little bit of everything for UMPI, leading the team in every major statistical category with 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. Doug McCalla has been a key contributor in the second half of the season, averaging 13.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Tyson Enget (Powers Lake, North Dakota) and Yuki Ishibashi (Asahi, Japan) will provide additional scoring from the guard position, averaging 9.9 and 9.4 points per game, respectively.
NAC Championship History
Husson's bid for a third consecutive NAC title came up short with its semifinal loss. Farmington is seeking its first NAC championship since 2010, while UMPI is looking to capture its first conference title.
Both teams will aim to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament when they tip off in Farmington on Saturday at 1 pm.
