By Kylie Johnson

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – The Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) men's basketball team prevailed 62-60 in an exciting win at The HUB against the #5 Vermont Technical College (VTC) Knights on Saturday, February 25.

VTC put together a nice start leading 24-18 at the half. The home team chipped away, executing its half-court offense and getting stops on the other end when it mattered. The Seawolves took a 47-45 lead courtesy of a three-pointer by sophomore captain Jack Pyzynski (Saco, Maine) with 6:54 remaining, and never looked back.

Pyzynski led his team in scoring with 17 points and five rebounds. Fellow captains DeSean Cromwell (Biddeford, Maine) and Thomas Martinotti (Harwinton, Conn.) scored 12 and 14 points respectively— Cromwell recording the double-double with 15 boards.

Jaylon Calvin recorded another star performance for the Knights ending the game with 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. His teammate Ben Mullet scored 14.

In a post-game interview Head Coach Matt Richards commented, "Our game with VTC was everything you would expect in a playoff game. Outstanding individual performances by players and high intensity from both teams. I'm extremely proud of our guys for their efforts, especially in the second half. As we say to our guys, 'survive and advance', which we did."

The win moves the men to 17-9 overall.

The Seawolves will continue their conference playoff run when they meet the top-seeded Mustangs of Central Maine Community College on Saturday, Mar. 4. The semifinal contest tips at 6:00 p.m. in Auburn, Maine.

For the latest on SMCC's athletic programs, log onto GoSMCCSeawolves.com or follow Southern Maine Community College Athletics on Twitter @SMCCseawolves and on Facebook SMCC Seawolves.