The Retrievers of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County put four players in double figures and outscored the Maine Black Bears 35-22 in the second half to rally for a 73-63 America East men’s basketball win at the UMBC Events Center in Baltimore, Maryland Saturday afternoon.
UMBC went on a early 9-0 run capped by three-pointers from K.J. Jackson and L.J. Owens to take an 11-4 advantage. Maine (6-15, 2-5 America East) was down seven on a couple different occasions, but would end the first half on a 10-1 run to take a 31-28 halftime lead. The Retrievers started the second half with a three-pointer from Jackson and a layup by Brandon Horvath to take a 33-31 lead, before Nedeljko Prijovic and Andrew Fleming hit three-pointers to put Maine back on top by four. UMBC (9-12, 2-4) took the lead back on two free throws from Jackson and a three-pointer from Owens at 38-37. A Fleming layup was the last lead for the Black Bears at 45-44, as R.J. Eytle-Rock knocked in a three-pointer 11 seconds later to give the Retrievers the lead for good. That three-pointer started a 10-0 run for a 54-45 lead. Maine got it within four late at 54-50, but another three by Owens with 55 seconds left put it away.
Fleming led Maine in the loss with 18 points and five rebounds. Prijovic and Precious Okoh added eight points each as the Black Bears lost their second straight conference game. Jackson had 16 points and seven rebounds in the win for UMBC. Owens finished with 15 (4-6 on three-pointers). Horvath had 11 points and six rebounds, while Eytle-Rock had 10 points and six boards. Maine will host Hartford next Saturday at the Memorial Gymnasium (the Pit) on the UMaine campus at 12 p.m.
