Orono, ME – The University of Maine men's basketball team lost a close one in overtime against NJIT on Sunday afternoon, 91-83.
 
The Black Bears grabbed the early lead as Ja'Shonté Wright-McLeish hit a 3-pointer and Kellen Tynes laid in a fast-break layup off of a steal he picked up.
 
Maine kept up the offensive pressure throughout the opening 10 minutes as they continued to knock down the 3-point shot as they hit five, including three by Ja'Shonté Wright-McLeish.
 
NJIT would keep it close throughout the first half, getting it down to a one-point game with four minutes remaining in the first half before the Black Bears buried a pair of three-pointers to push it back to a seven-point lead.
 
Raheim Sullivan made it a tied contest at 41-41 to end the first half as he hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining in the opening half for the Highlanders.
 
Gedi Juozapaitis led all players in scoring in the opening half with 16 points as he shot six of eight from the field, including four three-pointers. Ja'Shonté Wright-McLeish turned in a solid opening half for Maine as he scored 11 points on four of six shooting, including three three-pointers.
 
Mekhi Gray led the Highlanders in scoring in the opening half as he had 10 points.
 
NJIT took their first lead of the afternoon on their opening basketball of the second half as Souleymane Diakite hit a layup.
 
NJIT pushed the lead to their largest of the contest with 9:54 remaining in the second half as they lead by nine points at 61-52.
 
The Black Bears came storming back as they cut the deficit down to one-point over the span of the following 2 minutes and 15 seconds, capped off by a Kellen Tynes three-pointer that got the home fans on their feet.
 
Gedi Juozapaitis got the Black Bears back in front as he scored five points, a three-pointer and a layup on back-to-back possessions to put Maine in front with just over six minutes remaining in the contest.
 
NJIT battled back to retake the lead with 1:06 left in the fourth quarter as Miles Coleman hit a layup and the and-one free throw.
 
Ja'Shonté Wright-McLeish forced overtime as he hit a three-point shot for the Black Bears off of the feed by Jaden Clayton to tie the contest up at 77-77.
 
NJIT came away with the victory in overtime, 87-81.
 
Gedi Juozapaitis led the Black Bears in scoring in the losing effort as he scored a career-high 26 points, including six three-pointers.
 
Kellen Tynes tied his career-high with 24 points as he also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, dished out five assists and had four steals.
 
Ja'Shonté Wright-McLeish finished with 16 points including four three-pointers.
 
Miles Coleman led the Highlanders in scoring on the afternoon as he finished with 22 points.
 
Maine (6-9, 0-2 AE) stays at home as they will take on the Wildcats on New Hampshire on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at the Cross Insurance Center in the Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle. That game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 P.M.
 
-UMaine-