The University of Maine basketball teams were back in action Monday afternoon and evening, but both came up on the short end on the road.
The Womens basketball team faced an imposing challenge in day two of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Womens Challenge against #3 South Carolina on the Gamecocks home floor in Columbia, South Carolina.
Five Gamecocks scored in double figures to lead South Carolina (3-0) to the easy 79-42 win. A’Ja Wilson led the way with 14 points, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan had 13, and Alaina Coates had 12 to go along with 14 rebounds.
Maine (2-3) was led by Julie Brousseau who had 11 points off the bench (3-4 three point range). Naira Caceres chipped in with seven points.
Maine will wrap up the tournament when it faces Hampton on Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.
The Mens basketball team made a strong second half rally but fell to LIU-Brooklyn 71-66 in the final day of the Steve Wright Classic in Boston.
Iverson Fleming led LIU-Brooklyn (4-1) with 26 points, that included 12 for 12 at the line. Jashuan Agosto and Jerome Frink also had 13 points each.
Ilker Er led Maine (1-4) with 13 points, while Wes Myers and Dennis Ashley had 11 each.
Maine trailed by 12 points at 55-43 with 8:32 left in the game, before a three pointer by Ashley cut the deficit all the way down to three at 69-66 with 11 seconds left. Fleming knocked down two foul shots for the BlackBirds to seal the win.
Maine went 0-3 in the three day tournament. The Black Bears return home to face UMaine-Presque Isle on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center.
