South Portland, ME - For the 4th straight season, and seven out of the last nine, the Lady Mustangs of Central Maine Community College have won the Yankee Small College Conference Tournament Championship. CM traveled to South Portland as the number one seed in the conference tournament after finishing 22-3 overall and 14-2 in YSCC play.
On Saturday, in the first round, the Mustangs took on 5th seeded UMaine Augusta. Coach Jim Seavey's Moose came ready to play, controlling part of the first quarter. UMA's Madeline Suhr scored six of her team-high 17 points in the first, helping the Moose to trail the Mustangs by two after one quarter.
From that point on, it was all Mustangs. Coach Andrew Morong's Mustangs drilled seven of twelve three-pointers on the way to scoring 30 points in the second. Kristen Huntress went three for three from the 3-point-land on her way to 13 points in the game. Natalie Thurber (game-high 18 points) went two for three, and Rebecca Davila went three for five (16 points, nine reb and six ast) to build 22 point halftime lead.
The Mustangs controlled the second half, outscoring the Moose 37 - 25. At the final horn it was CMCC 79 - UMA 42. With the win the Mustangs advanced to the YSCC Championship game to take on the Seawolves of Southern Maine Community College.
CMCC got a huge fourth quarter from Tournament MVP Kristen Huntress and clamped down defensively to hold off Southern Maine Community College for the 74-67 win in South Portland, Maine Sunday.
The two teams fought to a stalemate after three quarters; trading scoring runs the entire game. SMCC was led by YSCC Tournament Outstanding Offensive Player Amanda Brett, who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
The Mustangs were just too much for the Seawolves, pulling away in the fourth with Huntress' effort. Hintress finished the game with 29 points.
Natalie Thurber chipped in 11, while Rebecca Davila added speed and spark to the Mustangs, finishing with ten points off the bench. Thurber was named the YSCC Tournament Outstanding Defensive Player.
The Mustangs have secured an automatic bid to the USCAA National Tournament for the 4th straight year and will likely be one of the top-2 seeds in the tournament.
