So. Portland, ME—Each Season coaches and players circle particular games and dates on their calendars as games they understand to have significant meaning. Rival games tend to stand out—Yankee/Red Sox, Bruins/Canadians, Celtics/Lakers. In the Yankee Small College Conference there is no more powerful rivalry than the CM-SMCC game. Both have outstanding traditions and a healthy respect for each other. It seems regardless of records, players on the court, and time of year, each tend to treat the game like none other. This year was no different.
CM entered the game the favorite on paper. They fashioned an 11-4 record—SMCC came into the contest sporting a 4-11 record. On paper, this was a no brainer. However, games are not played on paper. SMCC hosted the game in front of a thousand cheering fans. SMCC has three returning starters from last year. CM has one returning starter. SMCC has nothing to lose…..they are not expected to win. All ingredients for an upset.
The evening started off with an emotional win for the Lady Mustangs who thrashed SMCC 65-35. The boys were all fired up for that game and expended a fair amount of energy cheering on the ladies.
Eight O'clock rolled around and the men charged the floor. Fired up and full of energy, CM managed to jump in front for the first six minutes of the contest. Communication to the floor was borderline impossible and the Mustangs struggled mid-way through the first half to protect the goal as SMCC ran out on a 12-4 run to take a 10 point lead, 41-31. Feeling a sense of urgency, and with a 1.04 ticks on the clock until halftime, CM ran off 10 straight points to run to the locker room tied 41-41. The Seawolves had given CM all it could handle.
A halftime reset and calmer, more focused group of Mustangs took the floor for the second half. A brilliantly designed alley-oop dunk play for Carrington Miller (Bingham, ME) by Coach Blais got the second half untracked early and led the Mustangs on a 20-7 run. CM maintained an 8-15 point lead all half withstanding any Seawolves comeback. CM left South Portland with an emotionally draining 82-73 win.
A trio of Mustangs, Elijah Barbour (Reston, VA), Rob Skinner (Winsted, CI) and Miller combined for 55 of the 82 CM points. Once again Barbour came off the bench to lead CM with 20 points including some timely threes with the shot clock under 5 seconds. Skinner, the stalwart floor general, added a double double hitting for 16 points, 10 rebounds and added 5 assists. Miller contributed 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
The win increased the Mustangs to a 12-4 record going into the break.