Castine, ME - The Northern Vermont University-Lyndon men's basketball team rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Maine Maritime Academy, 69-63, in Tuesday afternoon's North Atlantic Conference first round playoff game. The NAC East fifth seeded Hornets improve to 7-17 on the season and advance to Friday's quarterfinal at East top seed Husson University. Fourth seeded Maine Maritime concludes their season at 4-16.
The Hornets got off to a fast start, jumping out to an 8-0 lead on a layup and a pair of three-pointers from Tyrese Harris (Fort Benning, GA). Maine Maritime responded with an 11-0 run of their own, taking the lead on a three from Carter Rubin. The Hornets briefly regained the lead at 13-11 on another Harris three, but the Mariners went on a 7-0 run capped by a Curt Heinz three to lead 20-13 with 9:33 to go in the half.
Maine Maritime continued to extend their lead. When Malachi Reincke converted a pair of free throws, the Mariners had their biggest lead at 34-18 with 4:09 to go before intermission. The hosts eventually headed to the locker room with a 40-26 advantage.
Lyndon began to chip away as the second half began. After Heinz scored to push the Maine Maritime lead back to 16, Luke Fredsell (Whitesboro, NY) connected on a three-pointer for Lyndon's first points of the half. A Zach Falkenburg (Bridgeport, NY) three-pointer capped the 14-3 Lyndon run and cut the Mariner lead to 45-40 with 14:20 to go.
Maine Maritime quickly pushed the lead back to nine points on baskets from Reincke and Heinz and the Mariners were able to maintain a five to nine point margin over the next several minutes.
Rubin found Reincke for a layup at the 7:27 mark to make the score 55-46, Maine Maritime. Lyndon would fight back and score the next seven points. A Fredsell three made it 55-53 with 5:24 to go. Maine Maritime's Cameron Gerlach scored inside to put the Mariners back up four, but Lyndon's Mondwell Bukle (Pyeongtaek, South Korea) answered with a three-pointer to bring the Hornets within one.
Rubin connected from long range to push the Mariner lead back to four, but Bukle matched that with another three to cut the lead back to one. After the Hornets forced a Maine Maritime turnover, Harris gave Lyndon it's first lead since early in the first half with a driving layup and foul. He converted the free throw to make it 62-60, Lyndon, with 1:58 to go.
Following another turnover, Antonio Carlisle (St. Johnsbury, VT) knocked down a 15 foot jumper to put Lyndon up by four. Gerlach was fouled on Maine Maritime's next possession and made one of two free throws. Then Carlisle did the same on Lyndon's next trip, making it 65-61, Hornets, with 56 seconds to go.
The Hornets then got a defensive stop, but missed the front of a one and one. Gerlach scored inside with 14 seconds left to make it a two-point game, but Carlisle and Bukle made two free throws apiece as the Hornet defense held, giving Lyndon the victory.
Harris finished with 18 points to lead Lyndon. Fredsell and Carlisle added 12 and 11 points respectively while Bukle chipped in 10 points and grabbed a team best eight rebounds. Rubin paced Maine Maritime with 19 points, with 16 coming in the first half. Heinz posted a double double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Reincke tallied 14 points while Gerlach had a double double with 12 points and 10 assists.
The Hornets made 24 of 61 shots (39.3%) including nine of 28 (32.1%) from behind the three-point arc. Maine Maritime was 24 for 52 from the floor (46.2%) and seven for 20 (35.0%) from distance. Lyndon held a 34-31 rebounding advantage and forced 19 Mariner turnovers while committing 14 themselves.
Lyndon and Husson will meet for the third time this season on Friday. The Eagles won the first meeting between the two teams, taking a 92-66 victory at Lyndon on February 4th. The Hornets returned the favor the following day, handing the Eagles their first in-division loss with a 111-80 triumph. Tip-off at Husson is scheduled for 5:30 pm Friday.
All photos courtesy of Maine Maritime Athletics.
