AUBURN, Maine – In a game full of momentum swings, the Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) men's basketball team came up clutch in the final seconds, pushing past Central Maine Community College 62-59 in a hard-fought Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) battle on Wednesday night.
SUMMARY
SMCC rallied late behind Nathan Mugisha (Auburn, Maine), whose energy off the bench was instrumental in the win. Charlie Houghton (Hudson, Maine) anchored the Seawolves with 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Thomas Martinotti (Portland, Maine) added 12 points with a clutch three-pointer in the second half. Cole Pulkinen (Topsham, Maine) provided key offensive plays down the stretch, finishing with 9 points, including a game-tying three-pointer with 8 minutes left.
The Seawolves shot 40.7% from the field and 45.0% from three-point range, overcoming 17 turnovers by forcing crucial defensive stops in the final minutes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
CMCC jumped out early, taking a 31-24 lead at halftime after shooting nearly 40% from the field in the first half. SMCC struggled with turnovers but stayed in the game thanks to Houghton's presence in the paint and timely shooting from Pulkinen and Martinotti.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle with seven ties and eight lead changes. The Seawolves made thier move with eight minutes left, as Pulkinen drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 49-49. Moments later, he followed up with a layup to give SMCC the lead at the 7:37 mark.
With 6:13 remaining, Martinotti hit another clutch three-pointer, tying the game again at 54-54. Mugisha followed up with a strong layup to put the Seawolves ahead with 5 minutes left and followed with a huge block at the 4-minute mark to keep CMCC from reclaiming the lead.
Mugisha wasn't done yet—he attacked the rim for a layup to get SMCC back on top again. The Seawolves and Mustangs traded baskets until Sean Bosia (Standish, Maine) knocked down a mid-range jumper with under two minutes left, giving SMCC a one-point lead.
As the final seconds ticked down, SMCC was fouled on a one-and-one opportunity—Houghton iced the game by making both free throws, extending the lead to 62-59. The Mustangs had one last shot to tie it at the buzzer but missed the three-pointer, sealing a statement win for the Seawolves.
LOOKING AHEAD
SMCC (9-15 overall 7-8 in YSCC) look to build on this momentum in their next matchup against Vermont State University Randolph on Saturday Feb 15th at The HUB Athletic Center (Senior Day). Tipoff is scheduled for 2PM
