University of Maine
Albany (N.Y.)
Men's Basketball Falls to Albany in Overtime
2/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine men's basketball team fell to Albany in overtime by the score of 81-77 on Sunday afternoon at the Alfond Arena. With the loss Maine is now 15-14 overall and 9-7 in America East play while Albany goes to 16-15 and 9-7 in league play. Maine was led by America East Player of the Game Troy Barnies (Auburn, Maine) who had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Albany got off to a hot start, making three our of their first four shots from behind the arc to take a 15-6 lead, but Terrance Mitchell (Milton, Fla.) would sink three trifectas around an Andrew Rogers (Philadelphia, Pa.) jumper to tie the game at 17 with 11:51 left. Mitchell would sink another three moments later before he found an open Sean McNally (Gardiner, Maine) for a layup to take a 22-17 lead.
The teams exchanged buckets and with just under six minutes to play it was Maine with a 29-24 lead. The Black Bears would go on a 14-to-9 run into halftime with Barnies and Gerald McLemore (San Diego, Calif.) each contributing five points in the run to give Maine a 43-33 lead at half.
Maine was led by Mitchell's 12 points and four assists in the first half while Barnies had five points, four rebounds and four assists. McLemore and McNally added eight points each.
Maine shot 60 percent in the first half while Albany shot 43.3 percent.
The Great Danes shrunk the Maine lead to 46-41 with 16 minutes left in the game, and would cut it to four a minute later on a free throw.
The Black Bears would go on a run to build it back up to 55-44 with 11:31 left, but the Great Danes responded and cut it to 56-54 with 7:18 remaining.
Barnies would give Maine a 60-56 lead with 6:07 left, but Albany would tie it with just under three minutes to play. McLemore would hit a three on the ensuing possession and a Barnies layup after a Great Dane foul shot gave the Black Bears a four-point lead.
However, Albany would make a three with 15 seconds left to get within one, and after Maine made a free throw the Great Danes tied it at 66 with five seconds left. Maine had a chance to tie, but the short jumper hit the front of the rim.
In the extra session, Albany would take a 70-68 lead before making a three to take a five-point lead with just over two minutes left.
On Maine's ensuing possession, Barnies found McNally down low for a layup to cut the lead to three, but Albany answered with another three-pointer. McNally would then put back a shot to close it to four, but Albany would make free throws to push the game just out of reach.
The game was Senior Day for Maine's Barnies, McNally, Mitchell and Malachi Peay (Brooklyn, N.Y.).
Mike Black was Albany's America East Player of the Game with 26 points.
-U-M-
