Posted: Feb 14, 2014
Maine Maritime erased a 28-point second half deficit, but Johnson State converted 4 of 6 from the line in the final 25 seconds, to hang on for an 81-75 win in a North Atlantic Conference men's basketball game Friday. The Badgers improved to 6-16 overall, 3-12 NAC, while the Mariners dropped to 2-20, 1-14.
Jason Hatch scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Maine Maritime. Hatch tied a program record with eight threes in the game. B.J. Dunlap '03 and Dave Pelletier '88 each had eight threes in a game twice and Marc McCorrison '04 and Matt Ketchen '99 accomplished the feat once.
Zachary Radcliffe and Tyler Chiasson each scored 10 points for the Mariners and Kyle Boucher grabbed eight boards.
Asim Khan led JSC with 25 points, Ron Adrian added 22 and Cory Chase finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Bryan Hickey pulled down 11 boards for the Badgers.
After Hatch evened the game at 5-5, on a three with 17:19 left in the opener, Johnson State went on a 12-0 run to lead 17-5 five minutes later. Adrian led the run with four points. The Mariners managed to get within nine, 17-8, on a Radcliffe trey with 10 minutes left in the first.
The Badgers took their largest lead, 24-8, on a Hickey jumper with 8:08 on the clock. The Mariners got as close as seven three times in the final four minutes, the last coming on a Hatch layup with 2:14 left before the break. JSC led 39-29 at halftime.
Johnson State took its largest lead, 66-38, on an Adrian three with 9:35 left in the game. The Badgers led 77-59 with 1:57 left before the Mariners made their final push.
Chiasson fronted an 11-0 run with four points, Hatch added a three and Boucher, Radcliffe and Brad Reed pumped in two to put Maine Maritime within seven, 77-70, with 32 seconds left. Adrian put JSC ahead 80-72 with a free throw before Radcliffe made it a five point game, 80-75, with a three with 10 seconds on the clock. Lester Alexander scored the final point of the game on a free throw six seconds later.
The Mariners return to action Saturday, 3 p.m., hosting Lyndon State while the Badgers return to action tomorrow at 4:30p against Husson.