Auburn, ME – The CMCC Men's Basketball team ended its early-season slate against NCAA DIII opposition with a 78-66 loss at home to Maine Maritime Academy. E.J. Pemberton scored 16 points off the bench to lead Central Maine and Wyatt Hathaway added 15 of his own.

The Mustangs jumped out to 6-0 lead after the first four minutes as the Mariners, playing their first game of the season, got up to speed. CMCC led by seven before MMA found its groove, outscoring their hosts 20-3 over a ten-minute stretch midway through the first half which included a drought of 5:28 without a point, Central Maine's longest of the season.

Buckets from Khaden Moore and Wyatt Hathaway helped the Mustangs close to within 15 points, down 38-23 at halftime. Curt Heinz and Markus Ramirez caused problems for CMCC, with the senior center scoring eight points and grabbing nine rebounds through the first 20 minutes, while Ramirez went 3-for-7 from the floor.

That continued in the second half with Heinz's presence on the boards helping Maine Maritime pull away to its largest lead of the game, up 52-28 with 12:46 to play.

CMCC gradually chipped away at the 24-point deficit, pulling to within ten points over the next five minutes. Pemberton played his best half of basketball in a Mustangs jersey, scoring all 16 of his points in the second half. Will Duke also knocked down three triples to give Central Maine a fighting chance, but the Mariners kept them at arm's length over the final seven minutes to secure the win.

Jack Banks led MMA with a game-high 22 points off the bench, while Ramirez had 17 and Heinz finished with 15 points, 17 rebounds, and one assist shy of a triple double. Four Mustangs reached double-digit scoring with Pemberton (16), Hathaway (15), Duke (11), and Moore (11). Central Maine finished the game shooting 35.8% from the floor and was 8-for-27 from beyond the arc.

Men's Basketball next opens Yankee Small College Conference play on Wednesday, November 6^th when CMCC travels to UMaine-Augusta. Tip-off between the Mustangs and Moose is scheduled for 8:00 pm.