BANGOR – His team’s shooting percentages won’t make head coach Warren Caruso want to do any cartwheels, but the other team’s will.

The Eagles canned 7 of 20 3-point shots in the first half to take a 15-point halftime lead and held the University of Maine-Presque Isle Owls to 27.3 percent shooting overall.

The result was a 66-55 victory for the Husson College men’s basketball team at Newman Gymnasium Monday night.

The Eagles shot 38.2 percent from the field, held their own on the boards, built up an insurmountable lead and held off a late challenge by the Owls to notch their second win of the season.

Husson was led by guard Sheraud Lee. The freshman from Bridgeport, Conn., shot 50 percent from 3-point range and from the floor overall en route to a game-high 18 points.

The Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak and head into a two-week break with a 2-4 record.

“To finish the semester off with a win was good,” said Caruso. “It helps how we feel about ourselves and I sense there’s been a shift there. I think we’re starting to head in the right direction.”

The youthful Eagles used a 12-2 run to finish the first half and a 9-2 run to start the second to take a 22-point lead six minutes into the second half.

“We figured they’d have to press and when they came out in it in the second half, we knew we’d break it for some easy layups because we like to run,” said Tyler Muzzy.

The sophomore swingman from Greenville shot 50 percent from the floor (6-for-12) for 14 points in 22 minutes.

The Owls had more success with their zone defenses.

“Being a perimeter team, I thought we should try and cut off the perimeter, so I thought our 1-3-1 zone worked pretty good, but what we lack is a shooter,” said UMPI coach Mike Carlos, whose Owls are now 2-7 this season.

“We turned the ball over and we weren’t executing at the other end. If we get our shots, we’re in the game,” he added.

The Owls – who committed 21 total turnovers, but only six in the second half – shrunk a 20-point deficit with nine minutes left to 11 with 3:22 thanks to 8-0 and 9-2 runs.

“They did well against our 200 [press] and got some easy points, but I think they had trouble with our quickness,” Muzzy said. “After taking 20 3’s in the first, we wanted to limit that and get more penetration, more layups and better looks.”

The Eagles outrebounded the bigger Owls 19-14 in the first half, thanks in large part to junior forward Phil White, who grabbed eight of his game-high 13 points in the first half. The teams finished with 35 boards each.

“We didn’t get to the offensive glass as much as we should have in the second half, but right now for us it’s baby steps,” Caruso said.

Fabian Lenox led UMPI with 16 points despite 28.6 percent shooting and Brad Kline had a solid overall effort with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Mike Latchford had 10 points and seven boards.

“I was happy with our overall performance,” Carlos said. “To lose by 11 to Husson with a young team was fine. I have a lot of kids who haven’t played before.”

EAGLES 66, OWLS 55

UM-PRESQUE ISLE (1-7) HUSSON (2-4)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Hills 1 7 0 1 3 Lee 4 8 18

Engroff 1 2 0 0 3 Muzzy 6 12 14

Latchford 3 6 4 8 10 J.White 3 10 9

Lenox 6 21 4 5 16 Footer 1 1 2

Kline 5 6 0 2 10 P.White 2 5 4

Hodgdon 0 1 0 0 0 Little 1 2 3

Preston 1 2 3 4 5 Miller 0 1 0

Ouellette 0 1 0 0 0 Paterson 1 3

Dolley 2 6 4 4 8 Grant 2 3 5

Henry 0 1 0 0

Leavitt 3 11 0 8

Totals 19 52 15 24 55 23 62 11 18 66

UMPI 20 55

Husson 35 66

3-pt. goals – UMPI (2-13): Engroff 1-1, Hills 1-3, Hodgdon 0-1, Dolley 0-2, Lenox 0-6; Husson (9-33): Lee 3-6, White 2-6, Leavitt 2-9, Little 1-2, Paterson 1-6, P. White 0-1, Muzzy 0-3

Attendance: 200 (est.)