Auburn, ME – CMCC Men's Basketball used an impressive second half performance, scoring 57 points to pull away from Great Bay Community College for a 91-65 victory. The result runs their winning streak to five straight games and pulls the team above .500 for the first time this season at 6-5 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Four players finished in double figures for the Mustangs with Khaden Moore leading the way with 18 points followed by Javion Jacobs (16), Luke Jamieson (16), and Creighty Dickson (15). More consistent shooting in the final 20 minutes helped the hosts turn a 34-33 one-point lead at halftime into a 26-point win.
The first half was a seesaw battle back and forth between the teams that finished first and third in last year's YSCC standings, featuring 15 lead changes and four ties. A J.T. Pound three-pointer gave CMCC a 7-2 lead before an 8-0 run by GBCC put them up 10-7.
A layup and powerful slam dunk by Jacobs put the hosts back in control, but the Mustangs would face a drought of more than five minutes without a field goal. Creighty Dickson broke that with a three, only to be answered by a triple from the Heron's Dylan Rego. The final two minutes of the opening half saw Jamieson put Central Maine up 32-31 before a Jaylen Shelly layup answered on the other end for Great Bay. However, Sasha Alexeeff would get to the free throw line on the final possession, knocking down both shots to take a 34-33 edge back to the locker room.
Whatever adjustments the Mustangs made at halftime paid off, as the hosts never trailed the rest of the way. A 16-4 run put CMCC in control up 58-43 with 9:44 left to play. Dickson and Moore helped grow the lead down the stretch, and Jamieson took over in the final 2:30. The Auckland, New Zealand native made his side's final 11 points, securing the largest lead of the game with 11 seconds left.
Central Maine had a 37-28 advantage in rebounds thanks to Alexandre Brigitte securing 11 of them. Moore added to his stat line with five assists, tied for the team lead with Will Duke. The Mustangs also shot 35-for-65 from the field, their fifth straight game above a 50% rate. Rego led Great Bay with 15 points while Shelly ended with 11.
CMCC continues its four-game homestand with a visit from NHTI on Thursday. Tip-off against the Lynx is slated for 7:00 pm.
