Waterville, ME – Men's Basketball came up short against NAC leaders Husson University on Friday, January 26^th, 2024. The final score was 74-82 in the 2024 Men's Basketball Coaches Versus Cancer game.
 
Thomas College: Overall (7-12), NAC (4-5)
Husson University: Overall (16-4), NAC (7-2)
 
How it Happened:

• The first five minutes of the game were evenly matched, with both teams trading points to get to a score of 7-8.
• Shortly after the Eagles tacked on 11 straight points to jump out to a 19-7 lead. 
• Three three-point shots from Parker Desjardins (2) Cooper Wirkala (1) kept the Terriers in the game, only finding themselves down 16-21 halfway through the first half.
• However, the Eagles would go on a 10-2 run to take back a commanding 31-18 lead.
• The Terriers would close out the first half on a high note, scoring 17 points in the final five minutes, but still found themselves down 38-44.
• The Terriers nearly tied the game up in the opening minutes of the second half, as they score four quick points thanks to Metin Yavuz and Kory Winch.
• The Eagles were able to respond with four points of their own, but another Wirkala three-point shot kept it a one possession game.
• With 12 minutes left in the game the Eagles went on a 12-2 run to extend their lead to 11.
• The Terriers continued to battle with the Eagles, with four straight points coming from Wirkala to make it 53-63.
• The Terriers battled back to only a seven-point deficit thanks to layups from Jackson Ruelke, Mark McDonald, and Luke Gabloff.
• The Eagles would keep consistently scoring and see out the remaining two minutes, handing the Terriers a 74-82 loss.

 
Inside the Stats:

• The Terriers dominated in fast break points with 15 compared to the Eagles two. 
• Yavuz (15), Wirkala (14), and Desjardins (16) all scored in double digits for the Terriers, while Desjardins went 5-8 from beyond the three-point line. 
• The Terriers went 14-16 (87%) from the free throw line in the second half.

 
What's Next:

• Men's Basketball will look to bounce back as they take on the Eagles again tomorrow, January 27^th, 2024. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 PM.