The UMPI Owl men’s basketball team will try to get back to the .500 mark when they travel to Auburn to take on Central Maine Community College at 7:30 p.m. tonight. UMPI won the first matchup back in November at Wieden Gymnasium, 54-52.
UMPI, now 8-9, hosted SUNY-Delhi and Berkeley College (N.Y.) over the weekend, winning the first and losing the second.
In the 78-75 win over SUNY-Delhi Saturday, the Owls needed overtime before coming out on top. The visiting Broncos forced overtime with a last-second 3-pointer by David Haye, but good free throw shooting in the extra session gave the hosts the victory. Maurice Harris and Kevin Collins each scored 20 points for UMPI, while Kim Collins had seven rebounds and four blocked shots and Harris grabbed six boards for the winners.
Against the No. 1-ranked team in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, Berkeley College of New York City, the Owls put up a strong fight before falling, 68-61. The Knights held a 15-point lead midway through the second half before coach Mike Holmes’ team rallied to cut the deficit to three. However, UMPI would get no closer as Berkeley improved to 16-0 and now owns a 40-game winning streak dating back to last season.
Derek Healy, who had a huge impact in getting the Owls close down the stretch, finished with 22 points and added four rebounds and three steals. Collins netted 14 points in the loss.
After the CMCC contest, UMPI hosts UM-Machias in its next game on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.
Coach Traci Halvorson’s Owl women (4-10) also will play at CMCC this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. The squad won at Vermont Tech Jan. 10, lost to SUNY-Canton Jan. 11 and then triumphed at home Jan. 14 over SUNY-Delhi.
Teegan Laweryson scored 15 points and added four rebounds and three steals in the 71-53 win over the host team in the opener of the Vermont Tech Classic held in Randolph, Vt. Rhylee Wright had a strong outing with 13 points and 12 rebounds and Amanda Hotham had 13 points and six boards. Sydney Churchill played well as she netted 11 points and contributed five rebounds and six assists.
SUNY-Canton picked up the 67-53 victory the following evening, but Wright was again a bright spot by coming off the bench to score 22 points, total 12 rebounds and block five shots.
At home Saturday, UMPI bested the SUNY-Delhi Broncos, 56-45, behind Churchill’s 17-point performance. She hit eight of her 14 field goal attempts and also dealt out five assists and had three steals. Hotham added 14 points and seven rebounds.
UMPI will play Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. on Saturday, Jan. 21 before returning home to play UM-Machias Jan. 25 at 5 p.m.
