Seawolves Fall in USCAA Quarterfinals to Miami-Hamilton

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The third-seeded Southern Maine Community College men's basketball team saw its USCAA Division II National Tournament run halted late Wednesday night, falling to sixth-seed Miami-Hamilton, 57-53, in the quarterfinal round at Villa Maria.

The Seawolves battled throughout in a defensive contest but were unable to overcome turnovers and transition baskets from Miami-Hamilton down the stretch. With the loss, SMCC moves to 23-7 overall on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Miami-Hamilton struck first, opening the game with an early three-pointer before SMCC answered with baskets from Chance Mercier (Ellsworth, Maine) and Nathan Mugisha (Rwanda, East Africa) to keep the game tight.

Midway through the first half, the Harriers built a small cushion as Shaeden Olden and Kaleb Wanamaker connected on multiple scoring opportunities to push the lead to 13-4.

The Seawolves responded with a run sparked by Mercier. The freshman guard connected on a jumper at the 12-minute mark before Franck Moron (Ivory Coast) finished a layup inside to trim the deficit. Moments later, Mercier knocked down another triple to pull SMCC within two before Sam DeWitt (Hudson, N.H.) tied the game with a jumper of his own.

Late in the half, Nathan Mugisha buried a three-pointer to give the Seawolves a 20-18 edge. Miami-Hamilton answered with a quick closing surge to take a 25-22 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the break, the Harriers extended their advantage to seven as Wanamaker converted multiple transition opportunities. A three-pointer from DeWitt cut the margin to two, and another triple from Mugisha brought the Seawolves back within 35-32 midway through the half.

The teams traded baskets throughout the final ten minutes. A layup from Mercier and a strong finish from Sean Bosia (Dracut, Mass.) helped SMCC narrow the gap to just one possession with under three minutes to play.

With 2:27 remaining, Mercier knocked down a three-pointer to make it 51-49, keeping the Seawolves within striking distance. Miami-Hamilton answered with a layup from Wanamaker and later converted free throws in the final seconds to maintain its lead.

DeWitt hit a fade away three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining, closing the gap to two points, but Miami-Hamilton sealed the victory at the free-throw line to advance.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Chance Mercier: 18 points, 3 three-pointers
• Ellis Macea: 11 points, 7 rebounds
• Sam DeWitt: 8 points, 7 assists
• Nathan Mugisha: 8 points, 3 blocks
• SMCC outrebounded Miami-Hamilton 35-26
• The Seawolves shot 41.2% from three-point range

SEASON RECAP

Despite the tournament setback, the 2025-26 season will be remembered as one of the most successful campaigns in program history.

The Seawolves captured the YSCC Championship and advanced to the USCAA National Tournament as the No. 3 seed. Head Coach Matt Richards recorded the 400th win of his career during the season, adding another milestone in his 23 years of leadership. SMCC produced a 13-game winning streak, the longest in program history, surpassing the previous record that had stood for more than three decades.

Freshman guard Chance Mercier collected eight regional and national accolades, tying the program record for most awards in a single season. Mercier was named YSCC Most Valuable Player, All-Conference, and a USCAA First Team All-American alongside three YSCC Player of the weeks and two USCAA Player of the Weeks.

Captain Sean Bosia earned YSCC Outstanding Defensive Player honors and was named the USCAA Division II Student-Athlete of the Year, becoming the first student-athlete in SMCC history to receive the honor. Bosia also collected a YSCC Player of the week honor on 1/14/26.

NEXT UP

Southern Maine will return to the court Thursday afternoon in the USCAA consolation round, facing Penn State Mont Alto at 3:15 PM at Erie Community College in Buffalo, New York.

The game will count toward the Seawolves' final season record.