CONCORD, N.H - Southern Maine Community College used a balanced offensive effort and a strong second half to pull away from NHTI, earning a 79–71 YSCC victory Wednesday night at Goldie Crocker Gymnasium.
The Lynx opened the game with a 13-7 run led by the effort and energy of Tijae Julien, who opened the scoring for NHTI with five quick points. Max Shosa and Ezekiel McCoy both added threes in the ensuing minutes before Jaron Labranche capitalized on an SMCC turnover, causing the Seawolves to burn their first timeout of the game.
Following the break, freshman Chance Mercier led the charge for the Seawolves, scoring 15 points and guiding the visitors to a narrow 35-31 lead going into halftime.
Mercier picked up where he left off, knocking down a pair of threes which sparked a 10-4 run for SMCC. NHTI answered with buckets from Shosa and Mossyah Nembhard wh combined to cut the deficit to 52-49.
The Lynx made one final push late, cutting the margin to seven following free throws from Christian Forysthe and a pull-up jumper by Shosa with just over three minutes left. Mercier answered again from beyond the arc on the ensuing possession, and Southern Maine battled defensively to seal the game down the stretch.
Chance Mercier led all scorers with 28 points for SMCC, knocking down five three-pointers while adding nine rebounds and three assists. Ellis Macea posted a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Nathan Mugisha chipped in 16 points and eight boards to round out a strong interior performance.
Shosa paced the Lynx with a team-high 23 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists in an all-around effort. Julien added 13 points and four assists, while Nembhard scored nine points, all coming on three-pointers in the second half.
NHTI will look to build on the competitive showing, returning to action on Saturday when they travel to Word of Life.
Inside The Box Score:
