Auburn, ME – CMCC Men's Basketball ended the first semester with a thrilling 79-74 victory over #1 ranked Vermont State University-Randolph. Sophomore Khaden Moore put up a career-high 32 points and freshman Creighty Dickson added 20, as the Mustangs held the Knights at bay for the entire second half. Central Maine, which was missing two members of its starting lineup, heads into 2026 on a 13-game winning streak.
With J.T. Pound and Javion Jacobs out injured, Ryan White and Alexandre Brigitte got the starting nod. VTSU-Randolph took an early 8-2 lead in an opening five-minute stretch where both teams struggled to find their rhythm. The Mustangs missed nine shots in that period while the Knights turned the ball over three times.
A 9-3 run, with four baskets by Moore, evened the score at 11-11. Jaden Williams then broke the deadlock for good just before the midway point of the half, with his layup giving Central Maine the lead for good, 15-13. Moore ended the first half with 19 points to help build a 39-30 lead going into the locker room.
Dickson and White both hit three-pointers early in the second half, pushing the lead to a game-high 15 points. Vermont would rally to slowly close the gap over the next eight minutes. A Jaden Clark free throw trimmed the deficit to one possession, 56-53 with 10:12 left to play.
The Mustangs found another burst of offense to pull away. Their 8-0 run with points from Moore, Dickson, and Will Duke made it 70-57 with 6:18 remaining. However, momentum seesawed again with the Knights putting together a 13-2 stretch of their own. Mohamed Conde's jumper got it down to a two-point game heading into the final two minutes. Will Jenkins saw a go-ahead three swirl out, and CMCC would hit its free throws to seal the victory.
Moore's career-high night came on a 13-for-24 shooting performance. The USCAA All-American from Naugatuck, CT added ten rebounds for his third double-double of the campaign. Moore has scored double digits in all but one game he has played in this season. Team stats were very close. Central Maine had a slight edge in field goal percentage (48.4% to 45.2%) and turnovers (13 to 14). Both squads pulled down 35 rebounds, recorded eight steals, and made seven three-pointers.
The victory avenges CMCC's loss to VTSU-Randolph in last season's YSCC Tournament semifinals. The two teams square off again in Vermont on January 15th. The Mustangs open the second semester with a two-game road trip to UMaine-Fort Kent, starting on January 9th.
