CASTINE, Maine  — Maine Maritime Academy erased a halftime deficit and battled into the final minute before falling 75-71 to SUNY Cobleskill in North Atlantic Conference action Thursday night at Smith Gymnasium.

The Mariners (11-15, 11-7 NAC) trailed 39-32 at the break but regrouped in the second half behind a strong performance from freshman Aaron Pensel. Pensel scored 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Maine Maritime's offensive effort.

Maine Maritime chipped away at the deficit throughout the second half, tightening defensively and finding consistent production in the paint. Freshman Drew Hamilton added 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while senior Josiah Dancy contributed 10 points, including key free throws that kept the Mariners within one possession late.

The Mariners received additional scoring from sophomore Marcus Schade (seven points), sophomore Gabe Hagar (six) and sophomore Wade Hill (four).

Maine Maritime continued to pressure down the stretch and cut the deficit to one possession in the final minute with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but SUNY Cobleskill converted late free throw opportunities to seal the result.