WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Holding a 61-58 lead with 2:51 left in the second half, the Maine Black Bears could not fend off a late run, falling to Hartford 67-63 at Chase Arena on Thursday night. Aaron Calixte tied a career-high with 24 points in the outing, while Andrew Fleming tied a season-high with 16 points to lead the Black Bears.
 
Maine drops to 6-22 and 3-10 in conference play with the loss, while Hartford rises to 15-11 and 8-4 in the America East.
 
Calixte started the contest red hot, reaching double-figures in the first seven minutes of the game. He finished with 17 points by halftime. While Calixte added seven after halftime, Fleming led Maine in the second half with 12 points after only mustering four in the first half. The duo combined to shoot 15-of-23 from the floor (65.3 percent).
 
Maine's leading scorer all season, Calixte stuffed the stat sheet with four rebounds, five assists, along with a block and a steal in 35 minutes played. Ilia Stojiljkovic grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to lead Maine off the glass. Isaiah White tallied nine points, along with bringing down four rebounds, two blocks and a career-high four steals.
 
After the opening tip, Fleming started the scoring by draining a jumper. The Black Bears kept the lead for the time being, building an 11-7 lead, as Calixte notched eight points in less than four minutes, sinking two 3-pointers and a layup in the early going.
 
A 9-4 run by the Hawks gave Hartford its first lead of the contest at 16-15. The home team continued to expand its lead, extending the advantage to 28-21 with 10:35 remaining in the opening half.
 
Maine quickly slashed the Hartford lead to just two points at 28-26 after a 5-0 run, but the Hawks kept the lead for the time being. Leading 36-33 with 2:51 until halftime, Dennis Ashley knocked down the lone field goal with in the final two-and-a-half minutes with 57 seconds left, as Maine and Hartford went into the break knotted up at 36-36.
 
Just as he did in the first half, Fleming started the scoring in the second half, as Maine took its first lead of the game since the 15:10 mark in the first frame. The two teams battled back-and-forth in the final 20 minutes, as neither team led by more than four points at any point in the second half.
 
With 2:51 remaining, Stojiljkovic made his first of two free throw attempts from the line to extend Maine's lead to three at 61-58. On Hartford's next possession, the Hawks sunk a trey to tie the game for the ninth time.
 
Hartford took a 63-61 lead with 1:26 left with two free throws. Maine could not get any points over its next two possessions, and was forced to foul with 16 seconds left. The Hawks made both attempts, but Calixte's final two points of the game on layup brought Hartford's lead back to one possession at 65-63.
 
Maine fouled with six seconds remaining, but the Hawks made both shots from the charity-stripe to seal its eighth America East win of the season.
 
The Black Bears held advantages in field goal percentage (37.1 percent to 35.0 percent), rebounding (45-40), points in the paint (26-18), and fast break points (16-5).

With his 24-point performance, Calixte has now tallied 20 points in eight games this season. He has recorded double-figures in scoring in 14 consecutive games, and in 26 of 28 games this season.
 
The Hawks had four double-figure scorers, led by Jason Dunne's 19 points. J.R. Lynch recorded 13 points, while John Carroll and Travis Weatherington each added 10 on the night.
 
The Black Bears are off from game action until Wednesday, Feb. 21, when Maine travels to UMass Lowell. Tipoff at the Tsongas Center is slated for 7:00 p.m.
 
-UMaine-