University of Maine
UMBC
Little Leads the Way but Maine Men's Hoops Falls to UMBC, 73-66
2/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. – Kevin Little was an offensive catalyst once again as he scored 22 points to lead the way for Maine, but UMBC edged the Black Bears on its home court, 73-66, at the RAC, Saturday afternoon. The Black Bears dropped 3-24 and 2-12 in conference while UMBC improved to 4-23 and 2-12 in America East play.
Maine looked inspired in the first half, smothering the UMBC attack through most of the frame as it led 35-31 at the break but the Retrievers outscored Maine 42-31 in the final half to seal the win.
Little and Till Gloger scored 40 of Maine's 66 points with little pacing the offense with 22. Gloger scored 18 and was two rebounds shy of the double-double with eight.
For the Retrievers it was a team effort on offense as five players scored double-figures with Cody Joyce scoring 16 to lead the team. Joyce was followed by Malcolm Brent (15 points), Will Darley (15 points) Jourdan Grant (14 points) and Davarick Houston (10 points) on the offensive leaderboard.
Maine did record the edge in rebounds with a 33-27 mark but allowed the Retrivers to shoot 50 percent for the game while shooting 40 percent as team.
The Retrievers opened the game on a 10-6 run, sparked by a crowd energizing, ally-oop by Houston.
However coming out of the under 16 minute media timeout, Maine looked like a different team, suffocating the UMBC attack on the way to a 23-7 run, as the Black Bears took a 31-22 lead.
UMBC managed to salvage the half as the squad went on a short 9-4 run to cut the lead towards the end of the half, however controversy ensued in the final minute as Gloger layed in a bucket as the shot clock expired. The officials originally called off the bucket but following a review, Maine was credited with the bucket and went to the break up 35-31.
The Retrievers didn't waste time in the second half as they opened up with a pair of treys by Houston and Brent, along with a Joyce bucket, as the squad took a 39-35 lead, forcing a Maine timeout with 17:04 left.
UMBC continued to add to its lead getting the score out to 53-44 on the back of a trey by Brent, giving the squad a nine point lead. Maine continued to chip away with it as a Little layup at 3:45 of the second half, which knotted the game up at 57-57.
Again the Retrievers poured on the pressure as they went on a 12-4 run to get its lead back out to eight, 69-63. Maine fought back again and got it down to a manageable three-point deficit thanks to a pair of free throw makes by Calixte and a trey by Little off a stolen inbound by Melmed to make it 69-66 with 23 seconds left.
Maine nearly had a look at the tying possession as Shaun Lawton nearly intercepted another inbound pass moments later but it ricocheted off his hands and out of bounds.
UMBC scored the final points of the half and secured the victory, 73-66.
The Black Bears now head back home for a Wednesday night matchup against Hartford where the team will honor, senior Zarko Valjarevic's last game at home. That game is slated to tip off at 7 p.m.
