PRESQUE ISLE, ME

The UMPI Men's Basketball team continued to grind when they hosted Vermont State University Johnson for the second NAC matchup in as many days. The game turned into a physical battle as both sides jostled for the upper hand the whole time. The Owls hung tough, and grinded out yet another victory for their seventh straight.

How it Happened:

The game began exactly how it was the rest of the way: an absolute grind. UMPI jumped out to a slim 15-10 lead while Johnson continued to nip at their heels. The Owls could never pull away it seemed throughout the entire first half UMPI climbed ahead by 7 points at the break despite struggling from the field at just 38% as a team. The Owls continued to have control in the second half but once again, never could pull away from the feisty Badgers. The physical aspect seemed to boil over mid-way through the second half as both teams reached the bonus rather quickly at that point. With 10 minutes to go, UMPI led by 13, but the Badgers then slowly but surely chipped into the home team's advantage. They cut it to three points with under a minute left before UMPI's situational prowess closed out the game. The Owls hung on by a score of 78-74.

Top Performers:

UMPI had many heroes—a common theme throughout their 14-3 season so far. Akhe McMichael led the way with 21 points, knocking down two three-pointers and making some key takes to the hoop. Gilbert Jean Mendez added 15 and six, going 5 of 10 from the field. Saquan Carswell who has stepped up big time as of late, had 15 big ones and seven rebounds. Carswell went 7-7 from the field on the day. Over the last three games, Carswell has shot a remarkable 89% from the field, going 24-27 overall as he continues to make a living inside for the Owls. Dwaine Williams also got to double figures at 12 points with three three-pointers. Aleix Moreno also stepped up into some big minutes and tallied seven and six for the Owls.

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