Mustangs Hold Off Southern Maine, 75-63

Auburn, ME – CMCC Men's Basketball kept its winning streak going with 75-63 victory over archrival SMCC. The Mustangs took the lead for good with 11:29 remaining in the first half and kept the Seawolves at bay the rest of the way, picking up their ninth straight win and improving to 6-0 in Yankee Small College Conference play.

"We went into the game telling our players it was just another contest," said head coach Dave Gonyea. "But our guys are smart. Once the crowd came alive, everyone knew this wasn't just another CM game. The CMCC vs SMCC rivalry has been going strong for twenty years. Those of us who've been around, like coach Richards and our entire staff, know that no matter the rosters, schedules, or records, this matchup is always going to be a tough, great game."

Creighty Dickson led Central Maine with 20 points followed by Khaden Moore with 15. It was a good day for forwards to make an impact with Sascha Alexeeff and Alexandre Brigitte putting up eight points apiece. The Mustangs won the battle on the boards 46-39 and used their size advantage to outscore the Seawolves 46-20 in the paint.

A packed house filled the Kirk Hall Gymnasium for the annual rivalry match-up. Southern Maine got off to a faster start, twice taking the lead and going up 11-8 after a little more than six minutes. Central Maine gradually shifted momentum when their starters reentered, going on a 24-6 run over the next nine minutes to take the lead for the good. Seven different players put up points in that span including a three-pointer by Dickson and dunks from Brigitte and Javion Jacobs.

CMCC went into the locker room with a ten-point lead up 37-27. The Seawolves put up the first six points of the second half and outscored the Mustangs 15-8 to trim the deficit to three but would get no closer. Moore and Brigitte helped build the lead back to double digits and the hosts managed their advantage from there. Dickson added eight points in the final six minutes to see out the victory.

"This was exciting," Dickson said after the game. "A lot of fans, the crowd was into it, the guys were into it. Great energy all game. This was a great win. We knew it was going to be close, but we came out on top."

"I'm incredibly proud of our program," added Gonyea. "Not only did we have seven administrators, four faculty members, and three college deans in attendance, but nearly all of our coaches were there, along with many student-athletes from other teams. The support we receive from our college community is unmatched and makes my job truly uplifting."

Both teams struggled to shoot the ball from outside with Central Maine going 4-for-19 (21.1%) from three-point range and Southern Maine shooting 5-for-22 (22.7%). The Mustangs did have better luck in close, shooting 41.1% from the field overall while holding the Seawolves to 32.1%. The visitors were also forced into 19 turnovers. CMCC was whistled for 23 fouls, sending a steady stream of shooters to the line throughout the second half. SMCC finished with more made free throws (22) than field goals (18) in the game.

Men's Basketball continues its busy week with a visit from two teams out of New York this weekend. The team hosts Paul Smith's College on Friday at 6:00 pm before facing Word of Life Bible Institute on Saturday night at the same time.