BANGOR – Husson College’s nine-point margin of victory in Friday night’s game against Elms College will look a lot more comfortable in the box score than it was at Newman Gymnasium.

The Eagles needed contributions – and got them – from all 10 players logging minutes in their 85-76 win over Elms.

With the season only six games and three weeks old, this contest between annual conference title contenders may not greatly impact the North Atlantic Conference race, but you wouldn’t know it by the intensity of both teams before, during, and even after the game.

“We say every conference game we play is of equal importance, but this one may have counted a little bit more than the same for us,” Husson coach Warren Caruso said. “It’s a yardstick game.”

If so, the Eagles measured up very well. The squad of veterans, rookies and newcomers seems to be meshing together smoothly and quickly. The proof is in the Eagles’ 5-1 start, but it was never more evident than Friday:

. Senior point guard Jason Harvey was having a relatively quiet game with six points over the first 27 minutes, but he was anything but quiet after scoring 10 straight during a pivotal 10-4 run lasting two minutes that turned a two-point deficit into a four-point Eagles lead.

“Coach said spread the floor and if you can take him off the dribble, do it,” Harvey said. “Things just kind of opened up after that.”

The Bucksport native did what co-captains are supposed to do en route to a game-high 23 points plus seven assists, two steals, and even a blocked shot.

. Freshman Martin Cleveland looked like anything but as he logged heady, veteran minutes before finishing with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Cleveland’s defining moment came 1:36 into the second half when he was called for his third foul while trying to guard Elms forward Renato Lindmets, who had lit the Eagles up for 15 points in the first half. Caruso elected to leave Cleveland in and the gamble paid off as the 6-foot-6 center was able to draw an offensive foul on Lindmets nine seconds later for his third.

“People were saying I’d have problems with the big guy and they didn’t know if I could step up as a freshman, but I did,” the Portland native said.

. Sophomore forward Scott Kissinger turned in a solid all-around game. He hit the biggest three of his 18 points on a 3-point dagger from the left corner with 5:15 to play that gave Husson its biggest lead (70-59) of the game. Although Husson had to sweat out the last two minutes by going to the line and hitting nine of 12 free throws, the Eagles never looked back. He also had five boards, two assists, and two steals.

. Tyler Muzzy was steady with 13 points and nine boards, but it was his defense – especially when Husson switched from man to a 2-3 matchup zone in the second half – that was just as crucial. The senior forward from Greenville combined with junior forward Nick Henry of Penobscot to help Cleveland double-team Lindmets and limit him to two points in the second half.

Lindmets grabbed nine rebounds for the 3-4 Blazers, who were also paced by David Williams (16 points), John Ancrum (13 points, seven assists), and Nathan Hawes (12 points, 10 rebounds).

EAGLES 85, BLAZERS 76

Elms (3-4) Husson (5-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Williams 6 12 2 3 16 Meehan 1 3 4

Ancrum 3 6 5 6 13 Kissinger 7 10 2 5 18

Davis 2 5 0 0 6 Muzzy 5 7 13

Lindmets 8 14 1 2 17 Clevelnd 9 14 2 4 20

Hawes 5 13 2 2 12 Harvey 7 11 10 23

Hite 2 8 0 0 4 Figueroa 1 2 2

Galdon 1 5 0 0 2 Bradford 0 0

Kelley 0 0 0 0 0 Lee 1 4 5

Brown 0 0 0 0 0 Philbrook 0 0

Jones 0 0 0 0 0 Henry 0 0 0

Beauregrd 1 2 1 2 3

Sylvia 0 3 0 0 0

Esile 1 2 0 0 3

Berry 0 2 0 0 0

Totals 29 72 11 15 76 Totals 31 52 20 30 85

Elms 38 76

Husson 35 85

3-pt. goals – Elms (7-21): Williams 2-4, Ancrum 2-4, Davis 2-5, Esile 1-2, Hawes 0-1, Hite 0-1, Beauregard 0-1, Galdon 0-3; Husson (3-13): Kissinger 2-5, Lee 1-2, Bradford 0-1, Muzzy 0-2, Harvey 0-3

Attendance: 450 (est.)