Orono, ME - The University of Maine men's basketball team returns to Orono riding a three-game win-streak as they look to extend it against Central Connecticut State University on Saturday, Dec. 9.

GAME INFORMATION:
DATE: Saturday, Dec. 9
TIME: 2:00 P.M.
SITE: Orono, ME - The Pit
2023 RECORDS: Maine 7-4, 0-0 - CCSU 3-5, 0-0
VIDEO: ESPN +
LISTEN: goblackbears.com
LIVE STATS
TICKETS
TWITTER: @maineMBB
GAME NOTES

Last Time Out: Maine is riding a three-game win-streak as they defeated Boston University in Boston for the first time since 1999 on Wednesday Night, 74-65.

Kellen Tynes scored a game-high 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the contest, his second game in the past three outings that he has scored 20 or more points and the third time on the season he has done it.

Peter Filipovity recorded his third double-double of the season as he had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Maine forced 16 turnovers in the victory and currently boasts the 40th ranked defense in scoring average against in the NCAA, allowing just 63.8 points per contest.

Player Spotlights:

Kellen Tynes: Tynes has come out to begin the season averaging a team high in points (14.5 - 5th in AE) and steals (2.0) per contest, which ranks him nationally at 72nd in steals per game. His 22 total steals are good for the 21st most steals in the NCAA. Tynes ranks third in the America East in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 1.95 ratio.

One season ago, Kellen Tynes (Jr. – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) became the first Black Bear in program history to be named a Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a National Semifinalist for Defensive Player of the Year and his numbers were above anyone else in the entire NCAA. Tynes led the country with 98 steals (excluding the NCAA Tournament) and his average of 3.27 steals per game also led the country and were the most in the NCAA in three years.

Jaden Clayton: Clayton has emerged as one of the most reliable point guards in the America East in the early part of the season as he is fifth in the America East in assist-to-turnover ratio 1.77 and his 46 assists are good for the 44th most in the country in the early part of the season. His 19 steals on the season have him ranked 44th in the country and second in the America East. Clayton is coming off of a stretch in which he scored 15 points in back-to-back outings against Holy Cross and Brown, his most points scored in a two-game span in his collegiate career.

As a freshman in 2022-23, Clayton established himself as a reliable passer as the point guard for the new look Black Bears. Clayton ranked third in the America East with 3.9 assists per game, which was the third most in the conference and his 118 total assists were also the third most in the conference.

Clayton earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team in the America East as he also ranked second in the America East in total steals with 54, trailing only his teammate, Kellen Tynes. Clayton scored 6.9 points per contest last season on only 38.8% from the field, numbers he is looking to improve upon when he takes the floor as the starting point guard on opening night for the Black Bears.

Peter Filipovity:  Filipovity continues to reward Coach Markwood and his staff on their decision to insert him into the starting lineup by averaging the second most points per contest on the team at 13.1, all while shooting at a 57.3% mark from the field. His 6.7 rebounds per game also leads the Black Bears and are the fourth-most rebounds per game in the America East. His three double-doubles on the season is good for the 35th most in the NCAA on the season and the second-most in the America East.

Over his past seven games, he set a then career-high in points with 19 against Presbyterian and then topped it with his new career-high of 23 with an outburst against South Florida to lead the Black Bears to the victory. He also tied his career-high in that matchup with 12 rebounds, a mark he just hit again in the victory over Holy Cross. He has recorded three double-doubles during his current stretch of solid play, which has him averaging 16.2 points per game and 10 rebounds per game over the past five contests.

A finalist for the America East Sixth Man of the Year, Filipovity took a big leap forward is in his first under Coach Markwood and his staff. His average points nearly doubled as he went from averaging 4.8 points in 2021-22 to 9.2 points per game in 2022-23. His rebounding numbers also increased by more than double as he averaged 5.7 last season, compared to 2.7 the season before.

Program History against CCSU: Maine leads the all-time series against the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State University 12-7.

Maine most recently faced CCSU just one season ago, in which the Black Bears picked up the win, 66-58. Kellen Tynes scored 23 points against the Blue Devils in the victory.

-UMaine-