WATERVILLE, Maine – Vermont State University–Johnson (11-16, 6-7 NAC) and Husson University (20-7, 12-1 NAC) will battle for the 2025 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Men's Basketball Championship at Warren P. Newman Gymnasium in Bangor, Maine, on Saturday at 1:00 PM.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The NAC champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA DIII Men's Basketball Tournament, which begins Friday, March 7. The complete tournament bracket will be revealed during a live selection show on NCAA.com on Monday, March 3.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

As the No. 2 seed in the West Division, VTSU-Johnson defeated No. 3 VTSU-Lyndon, 95-72, in the NAC quarterfinals, then edged top-seeded SUNY Delhi, 68-65, in the Division Championship.

Husson, the top seed in the East Division, advanced by defeating No. 4 Maine Maritime, 91-71, in the quarterfinals, followed by a 69-58 win over UMaine-Farmington in the division final.

FACTS & FIGURES

VTSU-Johnson:

• Leads the NAC in free throws made (16.1) and attempted (23.4) per game, rebounding (41.48 RPG), and rebounding margin (+6.1 RPG).
• Ranks second in blocks (4.0 BPG) and offensive rebounds (13.04 RPG), and third in field goal percentage (45.35%) and scoring offense (79.2 PPG).
• Has a better road record (6-7) than home record (4-8), including six consecutive road wins.
• Four of their six NAC losses were decided by five points or fewer.

Husson:

• Leads the NAC in free throw percentage (71.6%), scoring margin (+7.9 PPG), steals (9.4 SPG), and turnover margin (+1.9).
• Ranks second in scoring offense (79.7 PPG), defensive FG% (41.6%), fewest fouls per game (13.2), free throws made (14.0 per game), and rebounding (40.37 RPG).
• Holds a 10-4 record at Newman Gymnasium and has won four straight home games.
• Of their seven losses, three have come at the hands of tough NESCAC opponents (#2 Trinity, Colby, Bowdoin) and three others (Saint Joseph's, Lasell, Clark) are playing in their respective conference championship games on Saturday.

IMPACT PLAYERS:

VTSU-Johnson:

• #1 Raymond Baka (Atlanta, Ga.) – 2025 First Team All-Conference selection; leads the NAC in double-doubles (18, 5th in NCAA DIII), field goals made (228, 3rd in NCAA DIII), total points (541), and rebounds (310, 8th in NCAA DIII). The 6'7" forward has career marks of 1,251 points and 789 rebounds, ranking 7th in DIII in career double-doubles among active players (41).
• #7 Jason Baker (Pittsburgh, Pa.) – A mid-year junior transfer from DII Fairmont State, the 6'10" forward averages 21.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game. A Second Team All-NAC honoree, Baker set a school record with 55 points in the quarterfinal win over Lyndon, tied for the most by any DIII player this season.
• #12 Matthew Carter (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) – 2025 NAC Rookie of the Year and Third Team All-Conference selection; averages 17.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 45.9% from the field, 32.3% from three, and 76.0% from the free-throw line.

Husson:

• #3 Riles Neff (Camarillo, Calif.) – 2025 NAC Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-Conference selection; averages 17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, shooting 49.2% from the field and 43.4% from three. Ranks second in NAC three-pointers made (56) and third in total steals (49).
• #1 Jeremy Moronta (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – 2025 Second Team All-NAC pick; averages 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, shooting 48.8% from the floor and 36.0% from three. Surpassed the 1,000-point mark this season (1,363 career points in 112 games).
• #34 Scott Lewis (South Portland, Maine) – 2025 Third Team All-Conference selection; contributes 10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field.

COACHES' CORNER:

VTSU-Johnson – Head Coach: Alfred Johnson (180-228, .441, 15th Season)

Johnson took over a 7-19 program in 2019-20 and has led VTSU-Johnson to three double-digit win seasons in four years. The Badgers' win over SUNY Delhi in the NAC West Division Championship marked his 300th career victory (including his time as a high school coach).

Husson – Head Coach: Warren Caruso (591-275, .682, 31st Season)

Caruso has led Husson to 16 conference championships and 14 national tournament appearances. A six-time conference coach of the year, Caruso's teams have won nine of the last 15 NAC titles. His 591 career wins rank among the top six active NCAA DIII coaches.

Caruso and his assistant coaches – John Clark, Kyle Fisher and Mac Shea – were selected as the 2025 NAC Coaching Staff of the Year.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

VTSU-Johnson:

• 10 NAC Tournament appearances since 2004 (4-8 record).
• First-ever NAC Championship appearance.
• Last NAC Tournament win before 2025 came in 2022 over Cazenovia.

Husson:

• Nine NAC Championships (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024).
• 21 NAC Tournament appearances (21-11 all-time postseason record).
• Seeking their third conference title since 2019.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

Husson defeated VTSU-Johnson 91-80 on January 7 in Bangor.

• Husson Leaders: Riles Neff (30 points, six assists, five steals), Connor Heald (19 points, three three-pointers), Scott Lewis (16 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks).
• VTSU-Johnson Leaders: Raymond Baka (22 points, 13 rebounds), Matthew Carter (21 points, 10 rebounds), Jason Baker (17 points, three steals).
• Key Stats: Husson shot 45.8% from the field, held a 22-12 lead in fast break points, and forced 16 turnovers. Johnson outrebounded Husson 52-43, including 21 offensive boards for 20 second-chance points, but struggled with three-point shooting (5-19, 26.3%) and lost the turnover battle.