The Huskies start their 2014-2015 season with an 0-1 record and will face host Connecticut College Camels in the consolation game of the tournament. Anna Maria, now 1-0, will face Framingham State in the championship game after earning a 60-55 win over the Camels in the earlier game.
Trailing 62-42 with 9:36 remaining in regulation, Southern Maine struggle to get the deficit to single digits trading baskets back-and-forth with the AmCats. It wasn't until the final five minutes of the contest that the Huskies' were able to claw their way back into the game. An AmCat layup from senior Hugh Daye (Worcester, Mass./South) made it 70-53 with 4:49 to play. With a 17-point lead in hand, the game seemed settled, but the Huskies responded with a 9-2 run to pull to within 10. Following Daye's layup, USM junior Aaron Toman (Gardiner, Maine) scored back-to-back baskets and was followed by a three-pointer from junior Cole Libby (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle). A pair of free throws from Anna Maria's junior Pat Bradanese (Billerica, Mass.) halted the Huskies' 7-0 spurt, before a layup from sophomore Zach Leal (York, Maine) made it a 72-62 game with 3:19 to play.
With new found energy the Huskies' continued to press. Daye made one of two free throws to push the AmCat lead to 11, 73-62, before the Huskies' again rallied. Led by junior Jalen Lincoln (Nobleboro, Maine/Lincoln Academy), who scored seven points in a 13-8 spurt, USM made it a two-possession game, trialing by six, 81-75, with 35 seconds to play. Lincoln scored the Huskies first seven points of the rally, while junior Sean Caddigan (Bethel, Maine/Telstar) capped the run with back-to-back threes.
Both teams played neck-and-neck in the final seconds, with the Huskies' trading free throws for baskets. Caddigan hit his third three of the final minute of the game with seven seconds to play to cut the USM deficit to 84-80. Continuing to put the AmCats on the line junior Tyler Delorey (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) made two free throws with three seconds to play for an 86-80 Anna Maria lead effectively sealing the game. Leal canned a three as the buzzer expired for the 86-83 final.
Caddigan and Leal paced the Huskies with 22 points each. Leal added a team-high nine rebounds in addition to three assists and four steals. Lincoln chipped in with 12 points in a steady performance off of the bench, while Libby added 11 points, four rebounds, four steals and a game-high five assists.
Bradansese led all scorers with 24 points as the AmCats placed five players in double-digits. Freshman Youssef Fodaile (Lawrence, Mass.) had 14 points off of the bench, while sophomore Trevon Farley (Lawrence, Mass.), senior Michael Gorman (Methuen, Mass.) and Delorey each chipped in with 10 points.
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