BANGOR, Maine – In a Saturday matinée at the Cross Insurance Center, the UMaine men's basketball team fell behind early and could not comeback from the early deficit, falling 84-66 to UAlbany. Three Black Bears reached double-figures in scoring, led by Aaron Calixte's 16 points.
 
The Black Bears (4-15, 1-3 AE) struggled to get the offense going in the first half, but outscored the Great Danes (14-5, 2-2 AE) 56-36 over the final 20 minutes. Maine has now outscored the opposition six consecutive second halves.
 
Danny Evans tallied a season-high 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from floor. Andrew Fleming reached double-figures in scoring for the second-straight game, dropping in 12 points. Ilija Stojiljkovic led Maine off the glass with 10 rebounds.
 
Out of the gate, the Great Danes put together a 30-5 lead halfway through the first half, en route to a 48-10 halftime lead. Despite the large second half deficit, Maine refused to give up. Against UAlbany's starting five for the majority of the second half, the Black Bears shot a very efficient 65.4 percent (17-26) from the field in the final 20 minutes.   
 
Down 69-26 with 12:16 left, Maine finished strong on a 40-15 run. The 56 points in the second half marks the most points in a half this season.
 
With the successful second half of shooting, Maine finished the game with a slightly higher field goal percentage (37.5) than UAlbany (36.2). The Black Bears also held advantages in points in the paint (24-22), fast break points (10-2) and bench points (28-21). UAlbany used the charity-stripe to its advantage, making 35 of its 44 free throw attempts.
 
Joe Cremo led the Great Danes with 22 points, while Travis Charles poured in 19.
 
Maine is back in action on Monday, traveling to defending America East champion Vermont. The game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is slated to tip at 7:00 p.m. at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington.
 
-UMaine