BANGOR, Maine – With the score tied at 61-61 with two and a half minutes left in the second half, the University of Maryland Baltimore County ensued on a 7-0 run and would not give up the lead, as the Retrievers defeated Maine, 72-67, on Wednesday night at the Cross Insurance Center.

The Black Bears fall to 4-14 and 1-2 in league play, while UMBC is now 11-7 and 2-1 in the America East.
 
"We've got to play better for 40 minutes," said head coach Bob Walsh after the game. "We did a good job defensively in the first half. When you hold the highest scoring team in the league to 33 points; you should be winning that game."
 
"Our guys fought and battled and we put ourselves in a tight game down the stretch and it came down to one play, here or there. They made a couple plays and we didn't, and we ended up on the losing side"
 
Aaron Calixte set a new career-high in points against the Retrievers, connecting on 9-of-12 field goal attempts, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range for 24 points. He recorded four assists and a steal in 38 minutes played. The redshirt junior scored 14 points alone in the second half, and has now registered 13-plus points in the final 20 minutes in the last four games.
 
"On offense, Aaron means everything right now," continued Walsh. "He's a big time player and he's playing big time every single night. We got to get other guys to be consistent on offense, and that's my job."
 
Andrew Fleming also reached double-figures in scoring, tallying 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor. Dennis Ashley totaled nine points and four boards, while Isaiah White added eight points and nine rebounds, along with two blocks and two steals in 34 minutes of work. 
 
The Retrievers started the contest on an 8-0 run, but the Black Bears immediatley countered with an 8-0 charge of their own to tie the contest up at the 14-minute mark. UMBC refused to give up the lead for the time being, as the Retrievers scored eight consecutive points. Fleming stopped the scoreless streak with a layup to pit Maine within six, but UMBC kept its lead for the time being.
 
The Retrievers did not allow their lead to go below five points for the rest of the half, taking a 33-26 advantage into the locker room at halftime. Maine held UMBC, the nation's leader in 3-point field goals per game (12.0), to just 2-of-14 from long distance in the first half.
 
Following halftime, the Black Bears started the second half strong offensively, quickly wiping UMBC's lead to just one point at 41-40 with 16 minutes left in the contest. The Retriever's kept the lead for the time being, but Maine would take their first lead of the game after Calixte drained three consecutive free throws to give the Black Bears a 45-44 lead.
 
The lead did not last long as UMBC hit a 3-pointer on its next possession to retake a lead. A Dennis Ashley 3-pointer in the 13^th minute tied the game up at 47-47 and sparked a 7-0 run as the Maine retook a 51-47 lead with 12 and a half minutes left. UMBC would cut Maine's lead to two, but the Black Bears held its lead, until the Retrievers embarked on an 11-2 sprint, taking a 61-57 advantage with 4-and-half minutes left.
 
Two Fleming free throws and a Calixte layup erased the UMBC lead to tie the game at 61-61 with just over two minutes left. A 7-0 run followed by the Retrievers, taking a 68-61 lead in the final minute.
 
The Black Bears would come within three points of UMBC, but the Retrievers would make the most of their free throw attempts in the closing seconds to earn the 72-67 win.
 
On the stat sheet, Maine held advantages in field goal percentage (42.1 percent to 37.1 percent), free throw percentage (77.8 percent to 58.6 percent), assists (9-to-8), and points in the paint. Both teams tied in rebounds (41-41), bench points (16 to 16), and steals.
 
The Black Bears held UMBC to one of its worst performances from 3-point land on the season. The Retrievers' seven 3-pointers against Maine is tied for its fewest in a game this season (7-38 against Maryland). The game also marked UMBC's second-lowest 3-point field goal percentage on the season.
 
Five Retrievers reached double-figures in scoring, led by 16 points from Jarius Lyles. Joe Sherburne tallied 15, while K.J. Maura added 12 and Daniel Akin registered 11.
 
Maine returns to action Saturday, when the Black Bears host UAlbany (13-5, 1-2 AE) with a noon tip. Tickets are available at TicketMaster.com or by visiting the Cross Insurance Center box office.
 
-UMaine-