GORHAM, Maine - Closing out its regular season, the University of Southern Maine Huskies men’s basketball team will be the eighth seed in the upcoming 2022 Little East Conference Championship Tournament. The Huskies will host ninth-seed Castleton University Spartans on Monday, February 21 (5:30 pm) in a first-round play-in game. The winner of the 8/9 game will advance to play top-seed and 2022 LEC Regular Season Champion UMass Dartmouth (22-3, 14-2 LEC) on Tuesday, February 22.
It was determined by the LEC’s athletic directors earlier this season that all nine teams will play in the tournament this season, due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. As a result,
eighth-seeded Southern Maine will host ninth-seeded Castleton in Monday’s play-in round.
Eastern Connecticut is the No. 2 Seed and will host seventh-seeded UMass Boston in Tuesday’s quarterfinals. The other quarterfinal matchups will feature third-seeded Keene State hosting sixth-seeded Rhode Island College and fourth-seeded Plymouth State hosting fifth-seeded Western Connecticut.
The LEC seeded this year’s basketball tournaments by winning percentage, and developed an alternate set of tie-breaks to account for incomplete schedules.
A youthful squad, Southern Maine is 6-7 at home in Hill Gymnasium this season, earning conference wins over Castleton (2-0), Western Connecticut (1-1), and at Plymouth State (1-1). The Huskies, 2-0 against the Spartans, defeated CU on the road 73-69 (December 11) and at home 73-55 (January 28).
In its two games versus Castleton, USM averaged 73.0 ppg and shot 50.0 percent (53-for-106) from the field. Junior Cody Hawes (Carmel, Maine/Hermon) and sophomore Trevor Ward (West Park, Fla./McArthur) averaged 16 points per game against the Spartans. Hawes shot 55.6 (10-for-18) and added 10.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Ward matched Hawes on the field goals and added 4.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
Who: No. 9 Castleton University vs. No. 8 Southern Maine
When: Monday, February 21, 2022 – 5:30 pm
Where: Hill Gymnasium (Fifield Court), University of Southern Maine – Gorham
What: 2022 Little East Conference Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament Quarterfinal
Southern Maine (9-16, 4-12 Little East)
Championships: 1 (1989)
LEC Tournament Record: 15-27 (.357), 26 appearance
Finals Appearances: 6 Finals Record: 1-5 Last Finals Appearance: 2000
Players to Watch: Chance Dixon, So., Guard, 11.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 37.7 percent 3FG; Cody Hawes, Jr., Guard, 11.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.7 spg; Marcus Christopher, Jr., Forward, 9.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.2 apg; Trevor Ward, So., Guard 9.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.0 apg; Simon Chadbourne, So., Guard, 7.3 ppg, 45.2 percent 3FG
Castleton University (5-20, 0-16 Little East)
Championships: None
LEC Tournament Record: 0-0, 0 appearances
Finals Appearances: NA Finals Record: NA Last Finals Appearance: NA
Joined LEC during 2018-2019 season.
Players to Watch: Johnny Torrence, Fr., Guard, 9.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg; Darrell Hardge, So., Guard, 8.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg; 3.8 apg, 2.2 spg; Joe Alamprese, So., Guard, 8.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 apg
Final 2021-22 LEC Standings
1. UMass Dartmouth (.875)
2. Eastern Connecticut (.750)
3. Keene State (.750)
4. Plymouth State (..562)
5. Western Connecticut (.438)
6. Rhode Island College (.438)
7. UMass Boston (.438)
8. Southern Maine (.250)
9. Castleton (.000)
2022 LEC Tournament Schedule (all games hosted by higher seeds)
Monday - Feb. 21 - Play-in
No. 8 Southern Maine vs. No. 9 Castleton
Tuesday - Feb. 22 - Quarterfinals
No. 1 UMass Dartmouth vs. 8/9 Winner
No. 2 Eastern Connecticut vs. No. 7 UMass Boston
No. 3 Keene State vs. No. 6 Rhode Island College
No. 4 Plymouth State vs. No. 5 WestConn
Thursday - Feb. 24 - Semifinals
1/8/9 winner vs. 4/5 winner
2/7 winner vs. 3/6 winner
Saturday - Feb. 26 - Final
Semifinal Winners
Southern Maine Athletics has gone to fully digital game programs, please click this link to access the game programs to future Husky home events!
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