UM-Machias returns to national tourney Sunrise Conference men’s champion plays William Jewell tonight in NAIA event

It’s not spring break in Cancun or Daytona Beach, but attending Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede in Branson, Mo., during school vacation week is just fine with members of the University of Maine-Machias men’s basketball team.

For the first time since 1991, the UMM Clippers are preparing to play an NAIA Division II National Tournament game.

Back then, UMM was a Northeast College Conference power. Its 1991 NAIA Tourney appearance marked the end of an 11-year run in which it had seven 20-win seasons.

It also marked the first time a UMM men’s squad won 24 games. If the Clippers (23-9) upset No. 4 seed William Jewell College of Liberty, Mo., in Thursday’s 8 p.m. first-round game, they’ll be the second team. To do it, they’ll have to become the first UMM and second NAIA team from the NCC-Maine Athletic Conference-Sunrise Conference ranks to win an NAIA Tourney game – against a 31-4 local team in a hostile arena with lots of hostile fans.

“We’re used to that. We only had seven home games this year,” said first-year coach Randy Lee, whose UMM team started the season 5-6.

That was before they beat both host Husson College and Sunrise Conference power Fisher College to win the Paul Bunyan Tournament.

“That really helped our confidence and was pretty much a springboard for us the rest of the season,” Lee said.

Since Dec. 3, the Clippers have gone 18-3 on the way to the Sunrise title.

Thanks to the influx of talent and leadership from newcomers like senior transfer point guard Bayi Handy of York, Pa.; Hawaiian freshman Anthony Holyfield, and Canadian freshmen A.J. Morgan, Nedrie Simmons and Donovan Gayle, the Clippers are on the verge of making school history.

“This team is special,” Lee said. “We had six returning players and we knew it would be a yearlong process to develop and have players get used to each other. We started out rough, but our players have come together.

“A lot of guys have a chance to be all-stars, but we have a good approach when it comes to sacrificing individual identity for the team. With winning comes publicity and greater reward. Guys understood that, bought into the system, and made the necessary sacrifices.”

Guys like Handy, who, after playing for four schools prior to coming to Machias, seem to have finally found a home. The 5-foot-11 guard leads the team with 17.3 points, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Handy, the only senior logging playing time, has brought leadership without fostering jealousy or divisiveness. Teammates have responded.

Gary Dussard, a 6-3 junior guard, welcomed UMM’s makeover. Instead of resenting the fact he’s no longer the team’s lone star, he appreciates it. The 1,000-point scorer is averaging 11.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Wayne Clarke (11.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Morgan (6.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.4 blocks) and Jeremiah Johnson (8.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg) are the other starters.

Key players off the bench are forwards Dan Midgley (7.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Phil Munro (3.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and guards Simmons (6.0 ppg), Hank Garrett (3.9 ppg, 44-percent 3-point shooter), Simmons (6.0 ppg), and Holyfield (2.0 ppg).