HENNIKER, N.H.— February 23, 2018 - Junior Jourdain Bell (Manchester, N.H.) scored a game-high 40 points to lead the third-seeded Colby-Sawyer Chargers to an 89-76 win over second-seed Husson University on Friday night in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) semifinals.

The Chargers improve to 18-8 on the season, while Husson, the defending NAC champions, sees its season come to a close at 19-7. Colby-Sawyer will play in the NAC title game on Saturday at 2 p.m. against top seed and tournament host New England College. The Pilgrims defeated UMaine-Farmington 71-56 in Friday's other semifinal contest. 

Bell recorded the sixth most points in a single-game with 40 on Friday night. He was 14-for-23 shooting from the floor with seven three-pointers and a perfect 5-for-5 effort from the free-throw line. 25 of his 40 points came in the first half, where he was a perfect 7-for-7 from three-point range. He also surpassed Koang Thok for 18th in career points with 1067. The Chargers also received 22 points from Patrick Coffey (Westford, Mass.) and 17 points from Dana Bean (Franklin, N.H.). Colby-Sawyer held a 46-33 advantage in rebounds, led by Nate Trevino (Boerne, Texas) with a game-high 13.

The Eagles were paced by DJ Bussey (Peoria, Texas) with 16 points. NAC Player of the Year Raheem Anderson (Miramar, Fla.) chipped in with 15 points, while Justin Martin (Winslow, Maine) and Kyanti Blyden (Miramar, Fla.) both finished with 11 points each.

Colby-Sawyer controlled the scoreboard early on, as Bell was unstoppable from the three-point range. As a team, the Chargers hit 59.1 percent of their shots (19-for-32) and drained eight three-pointers to carry a 48-37 advantage into halftime.

The Eagles did better defending the arc in the second half and held Colby-Sawyer to just one second-half three-pointer. Husson would hold Colby-Sawyer scoreless for a four-minute stretch and used that opportunity to chip into the deficit. 

An offensive spurt by Husson starting at the eight-minute mark helped them come within 10 points, 76-66, and a free-throw by Bruce St. Peter (Ellsworth, Maine) put the Eagles within nine points. Husson continued to chip away and came without four points, 78-74, on a three-pointer by Bussey with 3:05 still to play.

The clock was not on Husson's side though, and a jumper by Coffey made it a three-possession game, forcing the Eagles to foul for possession. The Chargers went to the line five times in the final 1:26 to seal the 89-76 victory.

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