BANGOR, Maine - The Black Bears opened up conference play with a game against Vermont Thursday evening which ended in a 90-77 loss to the Catamounts, a game that was much closer than the final score indicates.

Wes Myers scored a total of 30 points, along with three rebounds and 7-7 free throw shots to lead the team; he also shot 1-2 from beyond the arc.

Ryan Bernstein tied his season high in points with 12, combined with five assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Myers and Bernstein were two of four Black Bears to score double figures; Austin Howard and Aaron Calixte both had 11 points; Howard shot 3-4 from three , grabbed a rebound and a steal, and assisted on one basket. Calixte shot 5-11 overall from the field, and also assisted on three baskets, and tallied two steals and a rebound.

The game contained seven lead changes and four ties, as both teams fought for dominance. Vermont started the game on a 7-3 run, and held the lead for most of the first half, Maine was able to re-take the lead with 10:06 left on a three from Austin Howard, but Vermont quickly got the lead back and held it until halftime, leading by as much as 11 points; the first half ended with a 10-point Vermont lead, 46-36.

Maine was able to keep the game within reach throughout most of the game, which allowed them to make a run halfway thru the final half, with 9:57 left Wes Myers hit a driving layup to cut the Vermont lead to two points, 62-60; active hands by Ryan Bernstein lead to a steal and a Vermont foul, and on the ensuing possession after the timeout, Marko Pirovic hit a clutch three through the contact, giving Maine the lead 63-62. Vermont would answer back with a three of their own with 8:13 remaining. An ensuing foul would send Wes Myers to the line for two shots, sinking both and tying the game at 65.

Vermont would re-take the lead with 7:20 left, and with a three-point play would go ahead, when Austin Howard hit a shot from the top of the key, tying the game back up at 68. From that point on, Vermont would hold smaller leads of five or six points, and eventually were able to pull away on successful defensive stops, with a final score of 90-77, Vermont's largest lead of the game at 13 points.

The Black Bears start off conference play 0-1 and travel to UMBC on Sunday. They return to Cross Insurance Center on Wednesday, January 11th, to face UMass Lowell at 7pm.

-UMaine-