NEW LONDON, N.H. – January 29, 2016 – The Colby-Sawyer men's basketball team edged Maine Maritime Academy, 67-62 in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action on Friday night.

Colby-Sawyer improves to 12-5 overall and 8-3 in the conference, while the Mariners drop to 3-14 overall and 2-8 in the NAC. The Chargers host Husson on Saturday at 3 p.m. in a rematch of last year's NAC title game. Maine Maritime remains in New Hampshire to play at New England College tomorrow.

Both teams came out sluggish in the first half with no points in the first two minutes of action. The teams then traded baskets over the next few minutes until Colby-Sawyer took a five-point lead, its largest advantage of the half, after a Milani Hicks (Scarborough, Maine) layup with 12:04 to play. Trailing 14-9, the Mariners used a 6-0 run capped by a Tyler Gilson (Thomaston, Maine) jumper to take a 15-14 lead.

The Chargers took a 23-19 lead into halftime despite 30 percent shooting. The Mariners could muster 39.1 percent from the floor, but committed 14 turnovers. Each side made nine baskets in the first stanza.

The start of the second half mirrored the first half as neither team was able to get on the scoreboard in the first two minutes. The Chargers scored the first six points of the half in a 28 second span to open a 29-19 lead with 17:31 left to play. The home team was in front 35-25 before Maine Maritime cut the deficit to three after a pair of Zachary Radcliffe (Rumford, Maine) free throws to make it 37-34.

Colby-Sawyer powered back to take its biggest lead of the game with 9:09 to play after senior Peter Donato (Portland, Maine) completed a three-point play to give the Chargers a 48-36 lead. The Mariners would fight back once again thanks to 57.7 shooting from the floor and 53.3 percent from beyond the arc in the second half. A trey by Radcliffe with 3:07 to play pulled the Mariners within three at 58-55, but that was as close as they would get.

The Chargers made 23-of-28 free throws in the second half including 9-of-10 in the final two minutes to ice the game 67-62.

Peter Donato led the Chargers with 21 points and eight rebounds. Milani Hicks finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. He was 7-of 8 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Taylor Grande (Bedford, N.H.) was the third Charger in double figures with 12 points. He made all eight of his free throw attempts and added five steals.

Sophomore Tyler Thayer (Hermon, Maine) led all players with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Tyler Gilson finished with four points, eight rebounds and a game best four blocks. Radcliffe had eight points and a game-high five assists.

Maine Maritime shot 49 percent from the floor, while Colby-Sawyer was 30.2 percent. The Chargers made 25-of-32 free throws, while the Mariners made 5-of-7. 

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