VESTAL, N.Y. - The University of Maine men's basketball team picked up a key America East win on Saturday afternoon, as Andrew Fleming, Nedeljko Prijovic, and Sergio El Darwich combined for 69 of Maine's points in an 82-75 win over Binghamton University. 

The first half was tight, as a Nedeljko Prijovic layup with 25-seconds sent Maine into the half with a slim 35-33 advantage. The Black Bears put it all together between 18:19 and 13:09 of the next half, putting together a blistering 18-0 run led by Prijovic's nine-points to open up their biggest lead of the day at 55-38. The Bearcats showed no quit, however, clawing their way back into this one with a gritty effort that culminated in a 7-0 run that made it 76-70 with 52-seconds remaining. Sergio El Darwich went 4-4 from the free-throw line and Nedeljko Prijovic converted a layup 18-seconds left to hold off Binghamton and seal the 82-75 win. 

MAINE GAME NOTES

• Andrew Fleming returned to the starting lineup after missing the last game with a vengeance. Fleming poured in 23 points on 9-12 shooting, and moved into tenth on the all-time scoring list in the process. He added in six rebounds,  five assists, and a pair of blocks in the effort. 
• Nedeljko Prijovic set a new career-high six three pointers on his way to a game-high 24 points, alongside ten rebounds for his first career double-double.  
• Sergio El Darwich completed the three-headed attack with 22 points, four assists, and three steals.
• Maine shot the ball as well as they have all year, putting up a team mark of 58.8% from the field on the day. 
• The Maine defense created 23 Bearcat turnovers, compared to 13 Maine ones. The Black Bears also dominated scoring in the paint, to a 38-16 tune. 

UP NEXT

• Maine will look for another pivotal win their next time out, when they travel to UMass-Lowell on Wednesday to take on a Riverhawks team they beat by a 104-98 margin in an overtime thriller at the Cross Center a few weeks ago.