NHTI men’s basketball remains in first place in the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) after a week of in-conference rivalry matchups.

The Lynx have improved to 12-3 overall and 8-1 against conference opponents. With six games remaining in the regular season, the Lynx are poised for a favorable matchup in YSCC Championship Tournament.

NHTI is the host school for this year’s Final Four and Championship game for the conference playoffs taking place March 2 and 3. This week, the Lynx will look for revenge against Vermont State University, the only YSCC school to beat them this season.

Staying first

On Wednesday, the Lynx beat Southern Maine Community College, 79-65, at home. The win featured the true depth of this Lynx team.

Joe Cantey led the Lynx with 23 points, while Dahsan King scored 21 points coming off the bench. Claremont’s Terrian Wester recorded a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

Fans of men’s basketball at NHTI remember falling in the 2021 Conference Championship to Southern Maine Community College all too well. The heartbreak for Lynx fans only grew as the Seawolves went on to win the 2021 USCAA National Championship.

Since then, the Lynx have won four straight games against the Seawolves, despite only being favored in one of those matchups. Currently, NHTI sits atop the YSCC standings, with Southern Maine just one game behind.

Beating the red-hot Mustangs

Central Maine Community College entered Sunday’s contest as the hottest team in the conference. The Mustangs beat five YSCC opponents in eight days. 

In November, the Lynx squeezed by the Mustangs by five points, 103-98.

The game marked another close win for NHTI. In games that have been decided by six points or less, NHTI has a record of 4-0. Four Lynx players scored in double-digits Sunday. Cantey scored a team-high 23, Wester had another double-double, Rahsheen Caulk Jr. put up 16 and Dontavious Elder scored 14.

Elder, new this semester, has been an excellent addition to the team.

“We needed a guy like him to improve the basketball IQ of this team. When he’s on the court, the system is better, even if he’s not the star on a play.” NHTI head coach Irv Harris said after the game.

On to Vermont

The next home game is this Friday at 8 p.m. against Vermont State University—Randolph. The Knights are the only team to put a blemish on the conference record of the Lynx, beating NHTI 90-80 on Dec. 10.

Offensive firepower is the name of the Knights’ game. They possess the only two players in the conference averaging more than 20 points per game.

Admission to regular season games is always free.