SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – Tournament MVP Shaun Hill scored 29 points Sunday afternoon, leading number one seed Central Maine Community College to a 90-69 win over sixth seeded Saint Joseph's College of Vermont in the Yankee Small College conference championship game.
The win ensures the Mustangs a birth in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association national tournament, which will be held from March 6th through the 8th in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. CMCC enters the tournament ranked first in the country in Division II based on the last regular season coaches' poll.
Once again it was depth that helped head coach Dave Gonyea's team close out the victory, as his team kicked in 56 points off the bench, led by Hill with 29. Saint Joeseph's out-rebounded CMCC, with Michael Bowles, the Outstanding Defensive Player of the tournament, pulling down a game-high 11 boards.
But the Mustangs took advantage of 27 Saints' turnovers, converting those miscues into 31 points. CMCC also spread the offensive around, dishing out 29 assists, led by 13 from Luis Medina. Medina was named Offensive Player of the tournament.
Eleven different players scored for CMCC, though Hill and Jimmy Pina were the only two in double-digits, with Pina scoring 12. Bowlers netted a team-high 19 points to go with his 11 rebounds and game-high six blocks, while Ramel Anderson scored 12 points and Rahiem Smalls scored 11 points and grabbed 13 boards.
South Portland- Before even playing its first game this season, the men's basketball team at Central Maine Community College knew this season could be one to remember. The Mustangs proved themselves right Sunday afternoon. CMCC claimed the Yankee Small College Conference title and earned a trip to the USCAA National Championships at Penn State Fayette beginning March 4. The Mustangs took the early lead Sunday and fought off the College of St. Joseph for a 90-68 win at Southern Maine Community College. "This is a special team," CMCC coach Dave Gonyea said. "Our goal at the beginning was to get to the nationals, and that's where we're going." It is the first time for CMCC in the national tourney since winning the YSCC in 2010. "It's a good family environment to be around," guard Shaun Hill said. "We took 15 guys from all over Maine and everywhere. We put it all together. It was an experiment that ultimately landed us where we are now. We knew we were going to win it from day one. We had the same goal in mind and when 15 guys have the same goal in mind, you can accomplish anything." Hill led the Mustangs (30-2) with 29 points and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Jimmy Pina added 12 while CMCC got eight points each from Kazre Cummings, Luis Medina, Jalen Lincoln and Tim Flanagan.
"We played the last two games and we didn't play very well," Gonyea said. "We needed to play like we did in the regular season, and that's what we did." The Mustangs swept the Fighting Saints in two regular-season games but got a battle from them Sunday. CMCC just proved too good and too deep. "We like to send waves of kids," Gonyea said. "You have to keep up with our pressure for 40 minutes. Most teams can't stand 40 minutes. We can go 10, 11 or 12 and we're not hurt at all on the bench." CMCC led most of the game. The Fighting Saints (15-13) made occasional runs. Michael Bowlers led the Fighting Saints with 19 while Ramel Anderson added 12. "We had to play CM basketball," Hill said. "We had to just stick to what we do best. When we do best, there's no stopping us." With the game tied 12-12 in the first half, CMCC pulled ahead with nine straight points. Devantee Briggs scored back-to-back hoops and then Hill drilled a 3. After two Pina free throws, the Mustangs were up 22-14. The Fighting Saints went on a run of its own and tied the game at 27-27 with a 13-5 spurt. Bowlers and Anderson led the charge with four points apiece. The game would be tied three more times but the Mustangs finished the half strong. An 11-2 finish made it 49-38 at the break. After a Hill 3, Medina converted a steal and then hit a jumper. Lincoln scored off a steal and Cumming sank a pair from the line. "We just like to use 15 guys and run them out of gas," said Hill. "If they make a run, they can only extend a run for so long until we sub out five more guys and take it over again." The Fighting Saints made one more try at a rally. An 11-2 surge, paced by five points from Bowlers, cut the lead to 56-51 with 14:30 left in the game. CMCC answered with a basket by Briggs and a Pina bucket off a Medina pass. A three-point play by Bowlers made it 62-56, but that was a close as the Fighting Saints would get the rest of the way. CMCC used a 13-2 run that pushed the lead to 80-59 with 5:27 left. Xaiver Colbert and Chris Semedo and Hill each hit 3's to open the lead for good. "It's sweet because we've got fantastic kids," Gonyea said. "They work really hard. They're passionate and emotional. They just love to play."
