Auburn, ME – The CMCC Men's and Women's Basketball teams will compete at this weekend's Yankee Small College Conference Final Four at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. The Mustangs look to capture the conference crown and book a spot in the USCAA National Tournament.
The women's squad enters Saturday as the #2 seed with a 26-1 overall record. Central Maine finished tied with UMaine-Augusta to share the regular season YSCC title, but after no tiebreakers could separate them, a coin toss was used to determine who would be the #1 seed for the tournament. After a first-round bye, CMCC faces #3 Paul Smith's College in the semifinals.
The Mustangs won their first 20 games of the season with no team staying within single digits of them. But the Moose put a stop to any hopes for an undefeated season with an 87-81 overtime victory in Auburn on January 29th. That snapped a streak of 47 straight victories against teams out of the YSCC and was the first home loss since 2022. CMCC responded by winning out the rest of the way, including impressive non-conference victories against CCRI and UMaine-Fort Kent, as well as a 108-42 win over rivals SMCC on senior night.
"Our players don't come to CMCC to win games in October through February," said head coach Andrew Morong. "They come to CMCC to win games in March. We have been working diligently over the last two weeks to prepare for this weekend. Despite two major season-ending injuries, we have persevered and put ourselves in the position to compete with the nation's best."
WCBA and USCAA All-American Ella Lavigne leads the team in scoring. The second-year guard from Fort Collins, CO is fourth overall in the USCAA averaging 22.8 points per game in just 24 minutes a night. Lavigne also leads the squad in rebounds, steals, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. Ava Smith has impressed in her first season. The forward from Casco, ME averages 13.6 points per contest, averages better than one block per game, and is second in rebounding and shooting percentage. Riley Hebler and Jenny Chaput have also been consistent scorers, and Coach Morong has a deep supporting cast to rely on with plenty of experience over the course of the year. Every player on the roster has averaged more than ten minutes per game.
CMCC has won seven straight YSCC Tournament championships going back to 2017 and 11 total for the program. The Mustangs also have three USCAA National Tournament championships, taking home the title in 2017, 2019, and 2022. They play Paul Smith's in the second game on Saturday afternoon at the Hutchinson Union Building on SMCC's campus. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 pm.
On the men's side, Central Maine also comes into the final four as the #2 seed. The Mustangs ended the regular season with a 17-12 overall record and a 12-4 mark in conference play. CMCC will have plenty of confidence after picking up at least one victory over every YSCC team, including sweeping #1 seed Great Bay Community College home and away.
The Mustangs defeated #7 seed Word of Life Bible Institute in the YSCC Tournament Quarterfinals last weekend, 98-67 to book their spot in Saturday's semis. They face #3 seed Vermont State University-Randolph in the final contest of the evening with a chance to advance to Sunday's championship game. The Mustangs and Knights split their regular season meetings, each side winning on home court. Central Maine slayed the Knights 78-67 at Kirk Hall in December, but struggled on the road in January, putting up just 14 points in the first half before a furious rally got them within a basket in a 54-57 loss.
The team opened the season on October 4th, the earliest start of a campaign in program history, facing difficult opponents right out of the gate. CMCC took some licks from four Canadian universities out of the CCAA, two NCAA DIII opponents and a USCAA DI squad in UMaine-Fort Kent. But the tough competition seemed to do the trick, as a young Mustangs team that featured 13 freshman and only two returning players who played regular minutes got valuable experience. They would go on to post a 15-5 record against teams at their own level.
"Going into the year with so many freshmen, we understood early this was going to be a yearlong process to develop our players to reach our ultimate goal of winning the Yankee championship," said head coach Dave Gonyea. "We feel like we have taken many steps, pushed our players out of their comfort zone, and watched them develop into a cohesive unit. Playing ten players consistently has its challenges, but we think it's the best way for them to improve individually and as a collective. We're looking forward to an exciting tournament."
Khaden Moore leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game. The first-year forward from Naugatuck, CT has been a reliable finisher in the paint making use of his 6'5" frame. He is also second on the team in rebounding. Senior guard Wyatt Hathaway continues to be a deadly shooter from outside racking up 80 threes this season, second-most in the USCAA, and adding his name to the 1,000-point scorers list earlier this year. Freshman guards Will Duke, Da'Vohn Jonas, and Keiontay Marsh have all shown they're capable with the ball in their hands while forwards Rocco Chang and J.T. Pound have both averaged more than seven points and 18 minutes a night.
Men's Basketball is in search of its third YSCC Tournament title in program history and its first since 2014. The team came agonizingly close in 2024, falling two points shy against NHTI in a 78-80 defeat. CMCC is scheduled to tip off against VTSU-Randolph at 6:00 pm at the HUB. General admission tickets are $8.
