JOHNSON, VT. – The Johnson State College men's basketball team defeated Maine Maritime Academy 76-61 in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) game on Friday evening.
The Badgers improve to 8-12 on the season and 5-8 in the NAC, while the Mariners drop to 4-16 on the season and 1-12 in the conference.
1st Half
The teams stayed close in the opening minutes, with the Badgers holding a 13-12 lead seven minutes in. Johnson went on an 18-6 run over the next eight minutes, capped by a Benjamin Holl (Philadelphia, Pa.) three-pointer, to go up 31-19. The Badgers held their lead through the remainder of the first and took a 37-24 advantage into halftime. The Mariners were led by Tyler Thayer and Nicholas DePatsy, who each scored six points in the half. Holl and Kawaun Chavis (Philadelphia, Pa.) each scored 11 points to lead all scorers.
2nd Half
Johnson held the double-digit lead through much of the second half. The Mariners were able to pull within eight on a Thayer layup with eight minutes left. The Badgers answered right back however, and held Maine Maritime Academy off to take the 76-61 victory. Thayer led all scorers with 13 in the second half, while Chavis and Marqwon Wynn (Wilmington, Del.) paced Johnson with eight.
Johnson Leaders
Chavis scored a game-high 19 points for Johnson, with Holl tacking on 15. Jeyquan Johnson (Harlem, N.Y.) added six while reeling in a game-high 10 rebounds. Demetrius Slade (Washington, D.C.) led Johnson's defensive effort with six steals and picked up six rebounds.
MMA Leaders
Thayer matched Chavis' 19 for the game-high, while also recording five rebounds. Brandon Newcomb scored nine for MMA, while Nick Judge and Nicholas DePatsy added eight.
Stat Breakdown
The Mariners edged Johnson 39.0% to 37.7% in field goal percentage, and 34.8% to 30.6% from beyond the arc. Rebounds were nearly even with Johnson holding a 37-36 advantage. The Badgers forced 19 turnovers on 15 steals while turning it over 10 times.
Next Up
Johnson will be back in action on Saturday, February 4th in a NAC contest against Husson at 1:00 p.m.