Men's Basketball Sinks Maine Maritime to Advance to Ken Wright Invitational Championship Game

AMHERST, Mass. - The Elms College Men's Basketball team faced Maine Maritime Academy in a non-conference game in the first round of the 2025 Ken Wright '52 Invitational at Amherst College on Friday evening.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 80 | Maine Maritime Academy 72
Records: Blazers 3-1, 0-0 (GNAC) | Mariners 0-2, 0-0 (NAC)

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, November 14th
Game One: Rutgers University-Camden 53 (2-1) at Amherst College 68 (1-0) - 5 pm
Game Two: Maine Maritime Academy 72 (0-2) vs Elms College 80 (3-1) - 7 pm

Saturday, November 15th
Consolation Game: Friday Night's Non-Advancing Teams - 11 am
Championship Game: Friday Night's Winning Teams - 1 pm

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first half would begin with the opposing teams trading possession until Maine Maritime would score the opening basket on  a jump shot, but both teams would be unable to find the basket until four minutes later on another successful Mariner jump shot and an additional layup. Then in the next minute, senior forward/guard Aden Goffe (New Haven, Conn.) would make a jump shot for the first basket of the game for Elms, unfortunately, MMA would score on a three-point shot on their next possession to extend their seven-point lead. Shortly thereafter, the Blazers offense would begin to rally after senior center/guard/forward Edgardo Jacob Cancel (Northampton, Mass.) would connect a pass to Goffe for a three-point shot, followed by first year forward Jaedon Bogar (Aubrey, Texas) scoring a three-point play, assisted by sophomore forward/guard Daniel Villanueva (Seymour, Conn.) to bring the score to within a point. The two New England institutions would then trade possession, as Villanueva would record a steal, followed by a pair of successful free throw attempts by first year forward/center Rayquan Anderson (Waterbury, Conn.), unfortunately the Mariners would also extend their lead to three-points during this stretch of time. The two teams would continue to battle for possession, until Goffe would tie the game momentarily with a second three-point shot after receiving a pass from Cancel, 13-13, but Maine Maritime would make one free throw attempt to regain their lead. Then in their next possession, the Elms offense would drive down the court and junior guard DJ Watkins (Union, N.J.) would make a layup, assisted by Anderson, to shortly regain the lead, the Mariners would follow up with a layup of their own, until senior forward/guard RJ Mayfield (Springfield, Mass.) would sink a jump shot. The two opposing forces would continue to battle for possession and the lead, seeing first year guard Jamie Lawson (Charlotte, N.C.) drive his way towards the basket for a layup, but MMA would continue to hold on to the lead by two-points, until Watkins would make a layup of his own to tie the game 21-21. The Mariners would answer back with a layup of their own, followed by a free throw from senior forward Adam Sarlan (Chicopee, Mass.), but the Blazers would regain the lead shortly thereafter when Goffe would connect a pass to senior guard/forward Max Rolnick (Vaughan, Ontario) for a pair of three-point shots, followed by second layup from Lawson, assisted by Rolnick, to give Elms a 30-23 lead. As the opening half neared its end, Maine Maritime would continue their attempts to narrow the Blazers lead, but Elms would control the narrative on both sides of the ball, with Goffe and Watkins scoring on back-to-back layups and jump shot from Watkins, assisted by Lawson, along with Mayfield blocking a Mariner layup attempt. Then in the final minute, junior guard Travis Jordan (Springfield, Mass.) would make a layup and MMA would answer back with a slam dunk, but the Blazers would hold on to their seven-point lead going into the halftime break over the Mariners, 38-31.

Elms would come out of the break red hot, as Watkins would make a layup and a three-point shot, assisted by Goffe, in the opening minutes of the second half, followed by a steal would lead into a breakaway layup from Goffe. Maine Maritime would continue their attempts to chip away at their deficit, but the Blazers continued to add upon their lead with a pair of free throws by Sarlan, three layups from Mayfield, Goffe, jump shots by Watkins, and a three-point shot from Watkins. As the second half continued, the Elms offense would continue to control the game when Villanueva would make a layup after receiving a pass from Cancel, followed by Goffe making a free throw, along with Mayfield recording a layup and blocking a Mariner layup on back-to-back possessions. As the second half neared its end, the Blazers would refuse to put themselves back in the loss column, as Cancel would record a pair of free throw attempts and a layup, Mayfield would add a block and a pair of layups, Villanueva would make a layup, Cancel would record a block, and Bogar and Watkins would both add a steal to keep the score at 73-69. But then, MMA would score on a layup to bring the game to within two-points, but Elms would regain momentum following a jump shot from Goffe, a steal by Mayfield, and three combined free throw attempts from Villanueva and Watkins to secure the 80-72 opening round victory over the Mariners to advance to the Championship Game to play against the hosting Amherst College, who had defeated Rutgers University-Camden earlier that afternoon.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Goffe - 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

• Watkins - 17 points, ten rebounds, a steal, and an assist.

• Mayfield - ten points, five rebounds, three blocks, and a steal.

• Rolnick - nine points, two rebounds, and two assists.

• Cancel - eight rebounds, four points, three assists, and a block.

• Villanueva - five points, two rebounds, a steal, and an assist.

• Lawson - four points and a rebound.

• Bogar -  three points, a rebound, and a steal.

• Sarlan - three points and a rebound.

• Anderson -  two points and a rebound.

• Jordan - two points.

• Dunlap -  a rebound.

UP NEXT: The Elms College Men's Basketball team will return to Amherst, Mass. on Saturday, November 15th to face Amherst College in the Championship Game of the 2025 Ken Wright '52 Invitational at 1 pm.

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