PRESQUE ISLE, ME
The UMPI Men's Basketball Team played their last home game of the semester this Saturday, when they played host to Fisher College. The Owls put on a clinic in the second half, scoring 59 points, and won the highly emotional affair over their NAIA opponent.
How it Happened:
It was clear from the early parts of the first half that this would be a dog fight. The game turned physical early but was very up-tempo. The two high powered offenses traded blows the whole first half with UMPI in front by 10. This stayed the course for the first ten minutes of the second half before the Owls finally put together a run to go up by 16 points at 61-45 following a couple of huge momentum shifts spurred by Myles Jones in the backcourt. This run proved to be fatal for the Falcons as UMPI started to pour it in the remainder of the game. 12 players got in the scorebook for the Owls as Coach Kane unloaded his bench down the stretch. The Owls eclipsed 100 for the first time this season and picked up the statement victory 104-85.
Top Performers:
The day was highlighted by Eli Smith, who celebrated his senior day. Smith started the game and made an early three, before coming in towards the end, and making two more three-balls. He was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc, and also went 3-4 at the free-throw line, finishing with 12 points. He got the crowd to their feet on several occasions.
The Owls were led by Charlie Mellick who had a break out performance of 17 points. Mellick had three three-pointers, and went 6-10 from the field with several strong takes to the basket as well. Gilbert Jean Mendez had 16 points, going 7-10 from the field. Akhe McMichael had 15 points, going 6-8 from the field while Doug McCalla had 11 points and eight rebounds. Saquan Carswell had 10 rebounds to lead the Owls in that category.
A theme is emerging as the Owls continue their historic start to the season. Every game there seems to be a new breakout performer, while the Owls continue to shoot incredibly well from the field. They finished the day at 55.9%, raising their season mark to 47.1% from the field as a team.
Next Up:
The Owls will have a week of practices and will be put to the test when they travel to Bangor to take on the Husson Eagles for their first conference matchup of the season. That game is set to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
