Shifts and Swings: Seawolves Fall by Six

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) men's basketball team put together multiple second-half runs but couldn't overcome Great Bay Community College's timely shot-making, falling 71–65 on Tuesday night at The HUB.

HOW IT HAPPENED

SMCC opened with strong interior play from Nathan Mugisha (Rwanda, East Africa), who scored the Seawolves' first six points and attacked the offensive boards early. Sean Bosia (Dracut, Mass.) added two early finishes inside as SMCC built a 14–7 lead at the 14-minute mark.

Great Bay responded with a 10–0 run fueled by perimeter pressure and transition scoring, briefly taking the lead before Franck Moron (Billerica, Mass.) and Ellis Macea (Lawrence, Mass.) provided stability. Macea scored nine first-half points, including back-to-back layups in the final three minutes, helping SMCC enter halftime ahead 33–27.

The second half opened in SMCC's favor, with Mugisha and Macea extending the lead to 37–27. Great Bay countered with a surge led by Jaylen Shelly, whose drives to the rim trimmed the margin back to single digits.

The two sides traded momentum throughout the half. Jace Bessey (Jay, Maine) hit a jumper at 17:04, Moron added putbacks, and Sam DeWitt (Hudson, N.H.) finished a tough layup with 10:21 remaining to put SMCC up 50–46.

Great Bay stormed back with a 7–0 run, but the Seawolves answered again—DeWitt hit a clutch three with 4:28 remaining to give SMCC a 57–56 lead. Moments later, Macea drilled a mid-range jumper to put the Seawolves up 59–58 with 3:42 left.

From there, Great Bay closed the game with sustained pressure, a transition layup, and an 8-for-8 stretch at the free-throw line in the final seconds to seal the result.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Ellis Macea — Team-high 17 points, including 11 in the second half.
• Nathan Mugisha — 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, huge early presence.
• Franck Moron — 10 points, 8 rebounds, active on both ends.
• Sean Bosia — 8 points, 5 rebounds, defensive anchors inside.
• SMCC shot 48% from the field but struggled from three (2-for-14).

NEXT UP

SMCC (4–3, 1–3 YSCC) looks to bounce back when they travel to New York on Friday, November 21 to face Word of Life. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM.