While Northern and Southern Maine High School basketball teams were competing in championship Saturday, there was another championship Saturday on the college level in Bangor and in Farmington as the Husson Eagles men’s and women’s basketball teams were in North Atlantic Conference title games.
At Farmington, the Husson men’s basketball team turned it on in the second half to capture the NAC title with an 82-67 win over Thomas College.
The Eagles trailed in the first half at about the 12 minute mark by six points, before coming back to take a 38-30 lead with less than four minutes to play in the opening 20. Thomas finished the first half though on a 10-2 run to tie things up 40-40 at halftime. Justin Martin had 13 first half points for Husson, while Zach MacKinnon had 16 to keep the Terriers in it.
Husson (17-10) opened the second half on a 12-2 run push back to a 10 point lead. Thomas only got as close as eight the rest of the way, as the Eagles led by as many as 19. Martin added 13 more in the decisive second half, while Justin Thompson added 11 in helping Husson pull away and advance to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
Martin finished with a game high 26 points for the Eagles, also adding nine rebounds and four blocks. Thompson added 19 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Justins brother Travis help lead the Schenck Wolverines to a regional title with 20 points earlier in the day, including his 1,000th career point. MacKinnon ended with 18 points and five rebounds for the Terriers. Jordan Goodson and Justin Butler both added 13 points and five rebounds, as Thomas ended their season at 14-13.
In Bangor at Newman Gym, the top seeded Husson Eagles Kenzie Worcester earned tournament MVP with a game high 21 points to lead the hosts to their fourth consecutive NAC title with a 58-51 win over Maine Maritime Academy.
MMA led early, but five points in the opening quarter from Megan Peach kept Husson within three at 11-8 after the first 10 minutes. Worcester (5) and Vanessa Duarte (9) combined for all the Eagles points in the second quarter, as Husson outscored the Mariners 14-6 and took a 22-17 halftime lead.
The Eagles did the same thing in the third quarter, outscoring MMA 14-6 to move ahead by 13 at the end of the third led by seven in the quarter by Worcester. Husson held anywhere from a eight to 13 point lead in the final quarter, before the Mariners rallied as close as six with 2:34 left. MMA got as close as five late in the game, but Husson nailed enough free throws going 6-9 down the stretch to hold on for the win. The Eagles improve to 19-8 on the season.
Worcester added six rebounds, two assists, and two steals to lead Husson to the win. Peach finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. Duarte had 14 points as well. Alayne Felix had 13 points for MMA, while Megan McLean added 12 points and five rebounds, and Lauren Plissey had 11 points and eight rebounds. The Mariners end their season with a record of 19-7.
Both basketball teams will find out who, when, and where they play during the NCAA Division III Tournament Selection Show on Monday afternoon.
