Jefferson nears Husson career mark for assists

Scott Nance, Ray Alley and Mamadou Kone were exceptional point guards for the Husson College basketball team.

By the end of the week, all of them will be looking up to the new man at the top of the list, Bryan Jefferson.

The speedy senior from Washington, D.C., is expected to eclipse the Braves’ career assist record during Husson’s three-game trip to Idaho, which begins Wednesday with a game against Eastern Oregon.

Jefferson, an NAIA All-America honorable mention pick last season, has dished out 536 assists in three-plus seasons at the Bangor business college. He needs eight to surpass current leader Scott Nance, who handed out 543. Alley is third with 530.

“I think he just does a great job getting the ball down the floor and getting it in the person’s hands so they can score,” said Husson coach Warren Caruso. “He gets a real good feeling out of making the good pass, making the assist.”

Jefferson, a quick, 5-foot-10 player for the Braves, is averaging 9.6 assists per game in five outings this season.

Caruso said 3-2 Husson is improving after an 0-2 start two weeks ago in Canada. The Braves expect to be tested severely in Idaho.

While there, they play Eastern Oregon, 1994 NAIA national runner-up Northwest Nazarene of Nampa, Idaho, and 13th-ranked Albertson College of Caldwell, Idaho.

“Northwest Nazarene and Albertson are both national-caliber teams,” Caruso said. “We’re going to put our kids through adversity and we’re going to find out how they react. I think they’re going to react very well.”

The Braves raised all their own money to fund the three-game trip. Fund-raisers included car washes, a dinner-auction, basketball clinics, and game program advertising. Caruso said Husson and the community have been supportive.

The Braves are trying to find the right blend on the court while some key contributors recover from injuries. Freshman forward Chris Funk is coming off an ankle injury, but might be able to play this week.

Sophomore Larry Locke is sidelined with a sprained wrist, junior guard Tony Tobin is recovering from a dislocated ankle and freshman center Jeff Grubke is out with a hip injury.

“The important thing from this trip is that we come back a better team,” Caruso said. “You don’t find out anything by playing easy ones. We want to compete and challenge them every day.”

The University of Maine women’s swim team has sprung off the blocks to a 3-0 start, including Sunday’s 165-129 victory over Northeastern at Wallace Pool in Orono.

It was the Black Bears’ first win over the Huskies since the 1990-91 season. A youth movement is under way at UMaine, which has six upperclassmen on its 22-member roster. Of those, 14 are Maine natives.

Freshman Susie Herrick of Wenham, Mass., sparked Coach Jeff Wren’s Black Bears by winning the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes, 21.59 seconds, the 200 individual medley in 2:13.34, and the 200 free with a time of 1:58.22.

Cate Splane, a sophomore from Bangor, won the 50 free and 100 free with times of 25.97 and 56.69, respectively, while Sarah Riley of Lumberville, Pa., was victorious in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.08) and 200 breaststroke (2:36.16).

Maine also received firsts from freshman Shannon Smith of Old Town in the 100 backstroke (1:02.03) and frosh Trina Smith of Old Town in the 400 I.M. (4:56.56).

John Wassenbergh of St. Joseph’s College in Standish has been selected as the NAIA New England Player of the Year in the preseason issue of Swish Magazine. Wassenbergh, a senior forward from Rockville Centre, N.Y., was an NAIA All-American last season.