WATERVILLE, MAINE – The Johnson State College men's basketball team fell to Thomas College 71-59 in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) game on Friday night.
The Badgers fall to 7-11 on the season and 4-7 in the NAC, while the Terriers improve to 9-9 on the season and 7-4 in the conference.
1st Half
The teams traded leads in the early going, with Johnson holding a 20-19 edge midway through the half. Three straight Zach Mackinnon three-pointers gave Thomas a 28-20 lead with 7:27 left in the period. Johnson battled back, eventually taking a 36-31 lead with 2:48 remaining. Thomas scored seven unanswered to close out the half with a 38-36 advantage. Benjamin Holl (Philadelphia, Pa.) led Johnson with 11 points in the half. Mackinnon led all scorers with 15 for the Terriers, shooting 5-6 from three-point range.
2nd Half
The Terriers stormed out of the break with a 15-1 run, giving them a 53-37 lead with 10:51 remaining. Johnson chipped away at the Thomas lead, pulling the score to 57-54 on a Holl layup with 5:59 on the clock. Thomas put Johnson away in the closing minutes, outscoring the Badgers 14-5 down the stretch to take the 71-59 victory. Holl and Kawaun Chavis (Philadelphia, Pa.) paced the Badgers in the half with eight points each, while Tyheem Simon led the Terriers with 11.
Johnson Leaders
Johnson was led by Holl, who scored 19 points and picked up five assists. Chavis added 17 more points and seven rebounds, while Demetrius Slade (Washington, D.C.) hauled in 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Thomas Leaders
Simon led all scorers with 22 points, with Mackinnon coming in right behind him with 21. Carlos Gonzalez picked up a 12 point, 10 rebound double-double. Ian King picked up 12 assists and nine rebounds for Thomas.
Stat Breakdown
Thomas outshot Johnson 45.9% to 37.3% from the field, while also holding a 40.0% to 34.6% edge beyond the arc. Thomas doubled-up Johnson in rebounds by a 50-25 margin. Johnson won the turnover battle, forcing 24 and committing just 16.
Next Up
Johnson will be back in action on Saturday, January 28th as they travel to UMaine-Farmington for a 1:00 p.m. NAC matchup.