The Maine Black Bears rallied from a 13 point first half deficit, and put four players in double figures on Saturday night in taking down the Albany Great Danes 72-68 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York in America East men’s basketball action.
Albany (6-17, 1-7 America East) got off to a scorching start from the floor and went on a 12-0 run to break open a one point game, finished off with a Jonathan Beagle layup for a 26-13 lead with 8:50 to go in the first half. They still had a 32-21 advantage with 4:22 left, before Maine would end the opening 20 minutes on a run of their own of 8-2 to cut the halftime deficit to 34-29. Gedi Juozapaitis had six of those eight points.
Maine scored the first five points of the second half to tie it, and then would take their first lead since it was 9-8 when Kellen Tynes hit a three-pointer with 16:45 left to make it 39-36. After the Black Bear built a pair of five point leads, a 12-2 Great Danes spurt would put the hosts in front by five. Tynes hit a jumper to tie it 3:16 later, and a layup by Ja’Shon Wright-McLeish gave the visitors their lead back 58-56. The teams would then swap one point leads, with the last lead of the night for Albany coming on a three-pointer by Aaron Reddish with 3:58 remaining. Wright-McLeish gave Maine the lead for good 32 seconds later, and down the stretch a three-pointer by Ata Turgut, a layup by Jaden Clayton, and two free throws by Clayton would ice the third consecutive win for the Black Bears.
Wright-McLeish led the way in the win with 16 points. Juozapaitis finished with 15 points and four rebounds. Clayton and Tynes also got into double figures with 12 and 11 points respectively. Clayton added four assists and Tynes had five steals. Maine improves to 9-12 overall and 3-5 in America East. Albany put five players in double figures in the loss, topped by Beagle who had 16 points and six rebounds. Reddish and Gerald Drumgoole Jr. had 14 points a piece. Reddish had five rebounds, and Drumgoole Jr. contributed four. The Black Bears will be back on the road Wednesday night in Rhode Island as they battle the Bryant University Bulldogs at 7 p.m.
Recap by Chris Lessner
UME (9-12, 3-5) 29 43- 72
ALB (6-17, 1-7) 34 34- 68
Rebounds- Maine 24, Albany 30
Free throws- Maine 11-12, Albany 9-12
Three-pointers- Maine: Wright-McLeish 2, Juozapaitis, Tynes, Turgut/ Albany: Drumgoole Jr. 3, Reddish 3, Patel
