Box Score Site: Blacksburg, Virginia (Cassell Coliseum)
Score: Maine 67, Virginia Tech 80
Records: Maine (0-1, 0-0) Virginia Tech (1-0, 0-0)
Next Maine Event: Sunday, Nov. 13 -- at Longwood, 2 p.m.
BLACKSBURG, Virginia – Maine men's basketball opened the 2016-17 season against Virginia Tech and fell to the Hokies 80-67 on Friday night.
Wes Myers led Maine scorers with 18 points on the night, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and also had eight rebounds in the game.
Virginia Tech's Zach LeDay had a double-double including a game high 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Hokies had four double-digit scorers; LeDay (20 points), Ahmed Hill (14 points), Justin Robinson (13 points) and Chris Clarke (12 points) who was one rebound away from a double-double as well.
Ilker Er scored the opening points in the game with a three giving Maine an early 3-0 lead :12 seconds into the game.
Virginia Tech quickly went on a 7-0 run, taking the lead from the Black Bears for the remainder of the game. Maine was able to tie the game once again, after a jumper in the corner from
Aaron Calixte, two of seven points on the night, tying the game at 10-10.
Minutes later with the score 13-13, Virginia Tech opened up an 11-0 run taking a 24-13 lead over Maine.
The Hokies held a ten-point margin heading into the half-time break, they shot 48.4 percent from the field in the first half compared to Maine's 37.0 percent.
Wes Myers opened the first half with five straight points for Maine, as Virginia Tech held a 41-34 lead with 18:32 remaining in the second half.
After a
Vincent Eze layup, Virginia Tech proceeded to go on a 9-0 run and increased their lead to 51-36.
The Hokies rattled off four straight buckets in the paint before a three-pointer by Ahmed Hill increasing their lead to 62-43 11:53 remaining in the second half.
With 2:48 remaining in the game, Virginia Tech held their largest lead of 25, 80-55.
The Black Bears closed out the game by going on a 12-0 run, sparked by two three's by
Dennis Ashley as Maine closed the gap, 80-67 but were unable to complete the comeback.
The Black Bears continue their road trip on Sunday as they play Longwood University at 2:00 p.m.
