Chesley’s free throws at the buzzer give men’s basketball the win

CONCORD, N.H. - Keith Chesley cooly dropped in a pair of free throws as time expired to give the University of Maine at Augusta Men's Basketball team a dramatic 79-77 win over Vaugh College Warriors Friday night at NHTI. Chesley drove the lane on the final possession of the game for the Moose, drawing the foul to give UMA the opportunity for the win in a game that included 12 lead changes and seven ties. 

With the victory, UMA improves to 8-9 on the season, while Vaughn lost for only the second time on the year. (9-2). 

The Warriors trailed by six points in the final minutes of play before buckets from Maleec Taylor and Michael Pena tied the game at 77 all, setting up the finish for the Moose. UMA used a balanced attack, receiving double-digit performances from five different players. Chesley (Clinton, Maine) and Brandon Rogers (Turlock, Calif.) again led the way with 18 points each, while junior Caleb McGuire (Whitefield, Maine) continued his strong play with 17 points on 8-14 shooting from the floor. 

Freshman Noah Thompson (Yuma, Ariz.) chipped in 13 points, including four triples, while Joseph Davila (Hartford, Conn.) came off the bench to score 13 points as well. Rogers and McGuire helped UMA dominate the boards, grabbing 47 rebounds to 35 for the Warriors. Rogers pulled down a game-high 18 rebounds, while McGuire turned in his first double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. 

Michael Pena led Vaughn with a game-high 31 points.

UMA returns to action on Monday when both the men's and women's teams travel to Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts for non-conference action.