BANGOR – Think the Husson College men were eager to get back to the friendly confines of Newman Gym to take on the University of Maine at Presque Isle?

The fact that each of the Braves knew it had been exactly 52 days since they’d played a home game might provide a glimpse of an answer.

So might the 1-7 record they’d compiled on their decidedly unmagical mystery tour. Or the 8-0 run they launched to start the game.

The overall result of a welcome homecoming was a lopsided 78-60 college basketball win Wednesday against an Owls team that had knocked off the Braves in Presque Isle in December.

“I really told them that this was a must-win situation,” Husson coach Warren Caruso said after his Braves had thoroughly stifled the Owls, allowing them just 32 percent shooting from the floor.

“I’m really proud of the way they responded,” he said.

The Braves improved to 11-9, 3-1 in the Maine Athletic Conference. UM-Presque Isle dropped to 8-7, 5-2 in the MAC.

Sophomore guard Mike McCaffrey paced the balanced Husson effort, scoring 20 points and helping to jumpstart the Braves on a decisive second-half run.

“It was good to get back,” McCaffrey said.

After Husson mustered a 36-33 halftime advantage, McCaffrey and junior captain Tony Tobin teamed up to put the Owls away.

The backcourt mates combined to net 11 points over a 6:57 span to put the game away. When McCaffrey nailed a pull-up 14-footer in transition with 8:55 left, the Braves had reeled off an 18-4 spurt and led 57-42.

UM-Presque Isle was not able to get any closer than 12 points down the stretch.

Tobin finished with 14 points, while Brian Alley pitched in with 11 and Giovanni Cotto tossed in 10. The Braves connected at a .527 clip from the floor and made 15 of 18 attempts (.833) from the line.

McCaffrey said the Braves made some defensive changes from the game plan they’d utilized in Presque Isle. In addition to denying passes to the wings, the Braves were quicker to switch against picks down low than they had been.

“We really wanted to focus on defense tonight,” McCaffrey said. “In the past, in the history of our school, defense creates our offense.”

UM-Presque Isle coach Karl Henrikson said his team didn’t react well to the Braves defensive effort.

“I think they really stepped up the defensive pressure in the halfcourt, and they took out of our offense and gave us fits early,” Henrikson said.

The Owls were hampered by the fact that 6-foot-6 senior Pierre Michaud, who was connecting at a 72 percent clip from the floor on the season, was making just his first appearance since spraining a medial collateral ligament in his knee during the first semester.

He managed just four shots and five points.

Aussie Glenn Sharp scored 12 points for UM-Presque Isle, while sharpshooter Brian Colman of Brewer tossed in 11.

Braves 78, Owls 60

UMPI (8-7) Husson (11-9)

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

Drake 0 0 0 0 0 Sompatzis 1 2 0 0 2

Rivera 4 16 1 1 9 Katz 0 0 0 0 0

Townsend 2 6 1 3 6 McCaffrey 7 13 4 5 20

Colman 3 8 2 2 11 Dyt 1 3 2 2 4

King 3 14 0 2 7 Tobin 5 11 4 4 14

Michaud 2 4 1 2 5 J. Durost 1 3 0 0 2

Casavant 0 2 0 0 0 Foye 4 7 0 0 9

Sharp 4 10 3 4 12 B. Durost 0 0 0 0 0

Mitchell 1 1 0 0 2 Funk 2 5 0 0 4

Miller 2 2 0 0 4 Alley 3 4 5 6 11

McBean 0 0 0 0 0 Cotto 4 6 0 0 10

Joseph 1 5 2 2 4 Olson 1 1 0 1 2

Johnson 0 0 0 0 0

Okunniwa 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 22 68 10 16 60 Totals 29 55 15 18 78

UMPI 33 60

Husson 36 78

3-pt. goals: UMPI (6-20): Rivera 0-4, Townsend 1-3, Colman 3-7, King 1-4, Casavant 0-1, Sharp 1-5; Husson (5-15): McCaffrey 2-6, Tobin 0-1, J. Durost 0-1, Foye 1-3, Funk 0-2, Cotto 2-2