PRESQUE ISLE, ME
The Owls took care of business against a winless Johnson team who made nothing easy on UMPI throughout the night. At the end, the Owls also got a boost from Thomas College, who took down SUNY Cobleskill, opening the door for UMPI to control its own home playoff destiny going into the final game of the season.
How it Happened:
After an early bucket by Johnson,. UMPI went ahead 5-2 and never looked back. Thought the Badgers were resilient in not quitting, the Owls took advantage of a first half lead that they'd grow throughout the game. By the 14:44 mark of the first half, it was 15-4 UMPI. Johnosn cut it back to six at 21-15 by the nine-minute mark, but the Owls responded again, putting themselves back up by double digits at 35-20. By halftime it was 41-25 UMPI.
The Owls came out of the locker room on fire, making it a 20 point game quickly. The game hovered around that state for a while as Johnson didn't go away but also couldn't out together a big enough run. UMPI stood tall, playing well enough on both defense and offense to let their first half lead do the work. The Badgers made a push at the end but it was trivial as UMPI hit their free throws convincingly, and took home a 12-point win, 76-64. UMPI had the lead for all but the first 30 seconds of the game.
Top Performers:
Doug McCalla was UMPI's leading scorer again with 16 points. He stepped outside and went 3-7 from three-point range and pulled down six rebounds also. Akhe McMichael was right behind him with 13 points and 11 rebounds to go with six assists and five steals as he filled the stat sheet. Aleix Moreno had 12 points from off the bench along with six rebounds.
Next Up:
UMPI is back to .500 as they even their record at 12-12 and are 10-7 in conference. With Cobleskill losing to Thomas College on Friday night, they now control their own destiny. With a win vs. VTSU-Lyndon today, the Owls will clinch a home playoff berth and can finish as high as third place if Maine Maritime loses as well. UMPI and Lyndon will tip off at 1 p.m. Please not their will be a Senior Day Presentation before the game, beginning at 12:45. Please arrive early to support UMPI's six seniors.
