Southern Maine men ended their season in the first round of Little East conference playoffs Feb. 19 in a game against the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs. The Huskies started out very favorably with a 27-21 lead just short of halftime. They played hard throughout the rest of the game and remained in striking distance, however giving up the win to UMD with a score of 78-67.
The men left the court for the locker room, but not with hearts filled with defeat. They rode the bus home eagerly anticipating next season.
“They are a very good team. At times, they are a very good basketball team, but they are a very good team,” said Coach Dan Costigan. “They played harder than their opponents, they played with heart. They are competitive and they work hard.”
Youth dominated this year’s team, with freshmen playing over half the minutes in an average game. Four freshmen started in at least six games this season as well, signifying that next year’s team may well be young, but with experienced, seasoned youth.
Another factor which trademarked this year’s team was the incredible increase of three-point shots made. Southern Maine men shot more three-pointers than any other team in Maine, and ranked third in the country in three-point shots.
Only a few weeks after the end of the season, and the team is already in the gym playing, and in the fitness center working out. They are hungry, and next year will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.