NHTI Lynx Ruin SMCC’s 7-Game Win Streak

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine—The Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) men’s basketball team took its first Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) lump of the season, defeated 82-73 by the Lynx from NTHI at The HUB on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

The Lynx found a rhythm early getting ahead 29-19 near the midpoint of the first half. The SeaWolf defense claims just 64 total points per game, but surrendered 52 in the first half to the most prolific offensive in the conference.

Trailing by a 13-point spread with 5:27 left in regulation, SMCC put together a 9-point run to creep back in striking distance at 75-71. Coming out of a timeout, the SeaWolves were unable to control the paint and come up with defensive stops. NHTI tacked on three straight buckets to secure the road victory and ruin SMCC’s seven-game win streak.

First-year guard Clay Hardy (Saginaw, Mich.) led all scorers in the contest with 19 points on 9-21 shooting—he ripped seven rebounds and totaled five steals in 30 minutes of work. Sophomore Anthony Lobor (Portland, Maine) was effective near the glass dropping 10 points adding nine boards and three assists.

Four finished in double figures for NHTI powered by Nassir Coleman’s double-double at 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Lynx shot near 48 percent from the floor compared to SMCC’s 37 percent.

In a post-game interview, Associate Head Coach AJ Burton commented, “Coming off a two-week layoff from our previous game, we showed signs of mental lapses and an inability to execute our style. It’s a great opportunity for us to grow and learn from this point moving forward. We look forward to a bounce-back stretch before the semester break.”

The result leaves SMCC 8-2 overall, 5-1 in conference play. NHTI improves to 7-2 on the season and 5-2 in the Yankee standings.

View the photo gallery of the game HERE.

The SeaWolves return to the hardwood on Sunday, Dec. 8 when they travel to the University of Maine at Machias to take on the Clippers for a 3 p.m. tip-time. WATCH.

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