The University of Maine men’s and women’s basketball teams were in action Friday night in non-conference play. The men hosted USCAA opponent UMaine-Fort Kent in Orono, while the women were looking for their first win with a trip to face Yale in Connecticut.
At Memorial Gym (the Pit), the men’s team used a big second half run to pull away for a 75-43 victory over the Bengals from UMaine-Fort Kent. It was back and forth early before the Black Bears took the lead for good on a Vukasin Masic three-pointer 4:23 into the first half. The lead was extended to as much as 15 late in the opening 20 minutes on a three by LeChaun DuHart, and was a 28-17 advantage at the break. The Bears used a 21-7 run over a span of 7:48 to stretch it out to a 25 point lead in tbe second half, and the final margin of 32 was the biggest lead of the night.
Masic led Maine (2-2) with 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Ata Turgut, Maks Klanjscek, and Peter Filipovity had seven points a piece. Sam Ihekwoaba and Byron Ireland had six each, as all 12 Black Bears that played scored points. Aiden Grady had 11 points for UMaine-Fort Kent (2-5). Maine will host Central Connecticut State on Tuesday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
At the John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Connecticut, the women’s team got a game high 16 points from Anne Simon for their first victory of the 2021-22 season with a 47-44 win over the Yale Bulldogs. Maine (1-3) led early on baskets from Alba Orois, Maeve Carroll, and Simon. Yale took the lead with 4:37 left in the first quarter and held it until early in the fourth. The hosts led by as many as eight in the first half and 25-22 at the break. Down 38-32 late in the third quarter, the Bears went on a 7-0 run that stretched into the fourth taking the lead 39-38 on a Simon basket. After falling behind by a point, freshman guard Bailey Wilborn hit three-pointers on back to back possessions to make it 47-42 Maine with three minutes left. Yale (3-1) had several chances to tie it late, first on a three-point miss by Klara Astrom. In the final seconds after two missed free throws by Orois, Jenna Clark came up empty on a game tying attempt from the arc as the visitors hung on.
Along with Simon, Wilborn came up big for Maine in the win shooting 4-8 from the three-point line and finishing with 12 points. Carroll had seven points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. Orois chipped in six points and six rebounds. Camilla Emsbo led Yale with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Black Bears stay on the road and visit Boston University on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
