The state of Maine will be well represented once again on the small college basketball level later this week and into next week. The Southern Maine Community College Seawolves (SMCC) men’s and women’s teams, the University of Maine-Fort Kent men and women, along with women’s teams from Central Maine Community College (CMCC) and the University of Maine-Augusta will all head South to Virginia and compete in the USCAA National Tournament.
The University of Maine-Fort Kent women (12-9) will take on Salem University (Mass.) on Sunday at 3 p.m. in a USCAA Division I quarterfinal in Petersburg, Virginia, while the Bengals men’s team (10-15) plays Apprentice School (VA, 22-5) to follow on Sunday at 5. In Division II, the SMCC men’s and women’s teams both take part in a play-in round game. The Seawolves women will take on Five Towns College (NY) on Sunday in Petersburg at 11 a.m. SMCC (20-8) has had a solid season, falling to the University of Maine-Augusta 67-60 in the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) semifinals. Five Towns College (12-6) captured the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament by winning the championship game over Berkeley 75-51. The SMCC men will face Penn State Wilkes-Barre (PA) on Sunday at 1 p.m. in their play-in game. The Seawolves are 21-7, falling in the YSCAA semifinals 65-55 to Central Maine Community College. The Mountain Lions of Penn State Wilkes-Barre enter the tourney with a record of 17-8. The Central Maine Community College women earned a #3 national seed, and is set to battle Miami (Ohio)-Hamilton on Monday night at 8 p.m. in a quarterfinal. The Mustangs (27-1) have a 21 game win streak, and have had six contests this season scoring 100 or more points. CMCC won the YSCC Tournament by defeating the University of Maine-Augusta 59-52 in the title game. The conference runner-up the University of Maine-Augusta is also back in the field. The Moose (21-6), led by YSCC Coach of the Year Heath Cowan, battles against the University of Cincinnati-Clermont also on Monday in Petersburg at 4 p.m.
The Central Maine Community College women look for their fourth national title (2017, 2019, 2022), while the Southern Maine Community College men also have a national crown when it comes to state of Maine teams after they won it all in 2022.
Written by Chris Lessner
