UMaine took a run at handing Vermont an early conference loss, but in the end, poor shooting did in the Black Bears.
The Catamounts, led by the all-around play of two-time America East player of the year Marqus Blakely (check out this line: 11 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocked shots), deflected the host Black Bears' bid and moved to 2-0 in the league, 11-5 overall. UMaine falls to 0-1, 8-6.
The Black Bears shot just 30 percent on its home floor while Vermont hit 39 percent and outrebounded UMaine by a 36-24 count.
Terrance Mitchell (13 points) and Gerald McLemore (12) paced UMaine's scoring attack.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Game day
Vermont (1-0 America East, 10-5 overall) at Black Bears (0-0, 8-5)
Thursday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m.
Catamounts opened their America East schedule Saturday with a win over UMBC. ... The Black Bears open conference play with three out of four at home. ... UMaine begins conference play with the top RPI in the league.
RPI: UMaine 149, Vermont 154
KEY PLAYERS
Vermont
* Marqus Blakely, 6-5, senior, forward
Two-time America East player of the year is off to a brilliant start, with averages of 18.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 blocks.
* Maurice Joseph, 6-4, senior, guard
14.3 points a game for the senior who started his career at Michigan State.
* Evan Fjeld, 6-8, junior, forward
8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds
Best two non-conference wins (RPI): at Buffalo (98), at Rutgers (148)
Black Bears
* Gerald McLemore, 6-3, sophomore, guard
15.4 points
* Sean McNally, 6-7, junior, forward
11.6 points, 8.1 rebounds
* Junior Bernal, 6-4, senior, guard
7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds
Best two non-conference wins: at Boston College (112), Princeton (139)
Thursday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m.
Catamounts opened their America East schedule Saturday with a win over UMBC. ... The Black Bears open conference play with three out of four at home. ... UMaine begins conference play with the top RPI in the league.
RPI: UMaine 149, Vermont 154
KEY PLAYERS
Vermont
* Marqus Blakely, 6-5, senior, forward
Two-time America East player of the year is off to a brilliant start, with averages of 18.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 blocks.
* Maurice Joseph, 6-4, senior, guard
14.3 points a game for the senior who started his career at Michigan State.
* Evan Fjeld, 6-8, junior, forward
8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds
Best two non-conference wins (RPI): at Buffalo (98), at Rutgers (148)
Black Bears
* Gerald McLemore, 6-3, sophomore, guard
15.4 points
* Sean McNally, 6-7, junior, forward
11.6 points, 8.1 rebounds
* Junior Bernal, 6-4, senior, guard
7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds
Best two non-conference wins: at Boston College (112), Princeton (139)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Comparing notes
With the America East season upon the Black Bears, let's take a quick look back at some of the Black Bears' non-conference opponents and how they fared against AE squads:
Fordham
lost to Black Bears
lost at Hartford
beat Stony Brook
Syracuse
beat Black Bears by 46
beat Albany by 32
UConn
beat Black Bears by 17
beat Boston U. by 18
Columbia
lost to Black Bears
lost at Stony Brook
Colgate
lost to Black Bears
lost to Stony Brook
lost to New Hampshire
Quinnipiac
beat Black Bears (at Orono)
beat Hartford
lost at Vermont
The records of UMaine's non-conference opponents through Jan. 4:
Wins
Fordham (2-10), Boston College (9-5), Kennesaw State (5-9), Columbia (6-6), Princeton (7-5), Colgate (3-10), Delaware State (4-7).
Total: 36-52
Losses
Syracuse (13-1), UConn (10-3), Quinnipiac (6-6), Norfolk State (1-11), Brown (6-9).
Total: 36-30
Observations: The losses to Norfolk State and Brown stand out, as does the victory at ACC member Boston College. ... Norfolk State was expected to be a contender in the MEAC and has the returning player of the year. Its record is disappointing to say the least. ... The Brown loss was tough because the Black Bears held a lead and then let an average team score 43 points in the second half to pull away. ... The BC stunner speaks for itself. As is natural in these matchups, BC apologists insist the Eagles were sleep-walking; but that doesn't matter, the Black Bears have a W in their column. Besides, UMaine was tied at halftime with UConn just a week earlier so unless BC's roster doesn't scan the Internet or nobody informed them of this, there are no excuses. You either get it done or you don't.
Fordham
lost to Black Bears
lost at Hartford
beat Stony Brook
Syracuse
beat Black Bears by 46
beat Albany by 32
UConn
beat Black Bears by 17
beat Boston U. by 18
Columbia
lost to Black Bears
lost at Stony Brook
Colgate
lost to Black Bears
lost to Stony Brook
lost to New Hampshire
Quinnipiac
beat Black Bears (at Orono)
beat Hartford
lost at Vermont
The records of UMaine's non-conference opponents through Jan. 4:
Wins
Fordham (2-10), Boston College (9-5), Kennesaw State (5-9), Columbia (6-6), Princeton (7-5), Colgate (3-10), Delaware State (4-7).
Total: 36-52
Losses
Syracuse (13-1), UConn (10-3), Quinnipiac (6-6), Norfolk State (1-11), Brown (6-9).
Total: 36-30
Observations: The losses to Norfolk State and Brown stand out, as does the victory at ACC member Boston College. ... Norfolk State was expected to be a contender in the MEAC and has the returning player of the year. Its record is disappointing to say the least. ... The Brown loss was tough because the Black Bears held a lead and then let an average team score 43 points in the second half to pull away. ... The BC stunner speaks for itself. As is natural in these matchups, BC apologists insist the Eagles were sleep-walking; but that doesn't matter, the Black Bears have a W in their column. Besides, UMaine was tied at halftime with UConn just a week earlier so unless BC's roster doesn't scan the Internet or nobody informed them of this, there are no excuses. You either get it done or you don't.
Black Bears 52, Princeton 50
Chicken or the egg? Bad offense or good defense?
Kind of hard to tell at Monday night's slugfest at Alfond Arena where the Black Bears stymied Princeton for much of the first half and then held on for dear life and a 52-50 victory.
Clinging to a four-point lead in the final seconds, the Black Bears withstood a scare when Princeton's Kareem Maddox hit a close range shot and was fouled and went to the line with 3.9 seconds left. With everyone in the building (including the always-snoozing ushers) understanding he'd intentionally miss the free throw, Maddox executed it just the way coaches draw it up.
Maddox added some loft, missing high off the iron so that it dropped back down and bounced again. The extra kick off the rim threw off the timing of the rebounders. Out of the brief scrum, the Tigers' Nick Lake got an open look from the right side (maybe 10 feet), but missed as the horn sounded.
Despite only three field goals in the second half, UMaine won its third straight to conclude its non-conference slate at 8-5. While it'd be a bit presumptious to say the Black Bears will go into Thursday's America East opener vs. Vermont with momentum, it's hard to overlook the fact the team has found a way to win some games it has lost in recent years. Monday night was exhibit A.
With their offense in full-blown hibernation after jumping out to a 26-13 lead in the first half, the Black Bears found a way to scratch out a win over a Princeton team that was coming off an impressive win at St. Joe's and was sitting at a solid 113 in the RPI (UMaine was at 183).
Gerald McLemore (14 points) and Murphy Burnatowski (11 points, 5 rebounds) spearheaded the effort. The two combined to hit 11 of 12 free throws, many of them down the stretch as Princeton starting fouling in an attempt to get back into the game. McLemore also contributed four steals in the game.
Sean McNally just missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. Troy Barnies had five points and eight rebounds. Junior Bernal had nine points and six rebounds.
Both teams shot poorly: Princteon at 34 percent and the Black Bears at 32 percent.
Observations
Burnatowski has a college-ready body and plays with confidence. In my opinion, he made the play of the game in the final minute when he went high and fought off a Princeton defender for a poorly thrown pass, was fouled and hit the free throws. ... Black Bears didn't convert many open-court opportunities created by its good defense. ... Princeton is probably a better shooting team than it showed and started hitting clutch 3s late. ... Players on Princeton's roster can claim they may some day be president, but they can't claim a victory in basketball over Maine as the Tigers are now 0-2 vs. the Black Bears. ... Black Bears need some kind of offensive production underneath to release the pressure on Gerald McLemore and the other perimeter threats. ... The last time I saw Princeton in person was in the late-1970s (I think) vs. Minnesota. ... That's one BIG black bear in the center of UMaine's new portable floor. ... Alfond Arena continues its tradition as the frostiest hoops facility known to modern man.
Thumbs up
to Burnatowski and the Black Bears defense.
Thumbs down
to the fan near us who spent the first 10 minutes complaining about the PA system volume. ... to all the fans who didn't show up two days after a landmark victory at Boston College.
Kind of hard to tell at Monday night's slugfest at Alfond Arena where the Black Bears stymied Princeton for much of the first half and then held on for dear life and a 52-50 victory.
Clinging to a four-point lead in the final seconds, the Black Bears withstood a scare when Princeton's Kareem Maddox hit a close range shot and was fouled and went to the line with 3.9 seconds left. With everyone in the building (including the always-snoozing ushers) understanding he'd intentionally miss the free throw, Maddox executed it just the way coaches draw it up.
Maddox added some loft, missing high off the iron so that it dropped back down and bounced again. The extra kick off the rim threw off the timing of the rebounders. Out of the brief scrum, the Tigers' Nick Lake got an open look from the right side (maybe 10 feet), but missed as the horn sounded.
Despite only three field goals in the second half, UMaine won its third straight to conclude its non-conference slate at 8-5. While it'd be a bit presumptious to say the Black Bears will go into Thursday's America East opener vs. Vermont with momentum, it's hard to overlook the fact the team has found a way to win some games it has lost in recent years. Monday night was exhibit A.
With their offense in full-blown hibernation after jumping out to a 26-13 lead in the first half, the Black Bears found a way to scratch out a win over a Princeton team that was coming off an impressive win at St. Joe's and was sitting at a solid 113 in the RPI (UMaine was at 183).
Gerald McLemore (14 points) and Murphy Burnatowski (11 points, 5 rebounds) spearheaded the effort. The two combined to hit 11 of 12 free throws, many of them down the stretch as Princeton starting fouling in an attempt to get back into the game. McLemore also contributed four steals in the game.
Sean McNally just missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. Troy Barnies had five points and eight rebounds. Junior Bernal had nine points and six rebounds.
Both teams shot poorly: Princteon at 34 percent and the Black Bears at 32 percent.
Observations
Burnatowski has a college-ready body and plays with confidence. In my opinion, he made the play of the game in the final minute when he went high and fought off a Princeton defender for a poorly thrown pass, was fouled and hit the free throws. ... Black Bears didn't convert many open-court opportunities created by its good defense. ... Princeton is probably a better shooting team than it showed and started hitting clutch 3s late. ... Players on Princeton's roster can claim they may some day be president, but they can't claim a victory in basketball over Maine as the Tigers are now 0-2 vs. the Black Bears. ... Black Bears need some kind of offensive production underneath to release the pressure on Gerald McLemore and the other perimeter threats. ... The last time I saw Princeton in person was in the late-1970s (I think) vs. Minnesota. ... That's one BIG black bear in the center of UMaine's new portable floor. ... Alfond Arena continues its tradition as the frostiest hoops facility known to modern man.
Thumbs up
to Burnatowski and the Black Bears defense.
Thumbs down
to the fan near us who spent the first 10 minutes complaining about the PA system volume. ... to all the fans who didn't show up two days after a landmark victory at Boston College.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Game 13
Princeton (7-4) at Black Bears (7-5)
Monday, Jan. 4, 7 p.m.
Alfond Arena, Orono
The complexion of this non-conference game changed considerably since the two teams' Dec. 20 date was snowed out and rescheduled. The Black Bears have gone 2-1 and dropped from 261 to 181 on the strength of an upset of Boston College Saturday. The Tigers have won twice and now reside at 115 in the RPI with a 7-4 record.
The game will serve as a tuneup for the Black Bears' America East opener Thursday vs. Vermont.
Princeton won at St. Joe's Saturday to run its winning streak to five games. The streak includes victories over Lafayette, North Carolina-Greensboro, Monmouth and Wagner.
Monday, Jan. 4, 7 p.m.
Alfond Arena, Orono
The complexion of this non-conference game changed considerably since the two teams' Dec. 20 date was snowed out and rescheduled. The Black Bears have gone 2-1 and dropped from 261 to 181 on the strength of an upset of Boston College Saturday. The Tigers have won twice and now reside at 115 in the RPI with a 7-4 record.
The game will serve as a tuneup for the Black Bears' America East opener Thursday vs. Vermont.
Princeton won at St. Joe's Saturday to run its winning streak to five games. The streak includes victories over Lafayette, North Carolina-Greensboro, Monmouth and Wagner.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Black Bears 52, Boston College 51
What a way to ring in the new year: A victory over a BCS conference program and big fat check for playing them.
That's what the Black Bears earned Saturday as they outplayed Boston College down the stretch and scatched out a one-point win at Chestnut Hill.
The Black Bears (7-5) controlled the tempo of the game and dared Boston College (9-5) to win from the outside. The Eagles did hit nine 3-pointers, but when they didn't, UMaine usualy grabbed the rebound and patiently worked the offense.
Coming into the game, the Eagles were ranked No. 97 in the RPI while Maine stood at 220.
UMaine consistently found good shots underneath. Big hoops late in the game from Gerald McLemore (14 points), Junior Bernal, Malachi Peay and Troy Barnies, as well as a couple free throws from Sean McNally (15 points, 7 rebounds) lifted the Black Bears.
A good win for a team that has struggled to close games in recent years. UMaine trailed by as many as eight points, but kept fighting back. Now, the task for the Black Bears is to take this momentum and confidence and push it over into the rest of the America East season.
UMaine closes its non-conference schedule with a game Monday at home against Princeton.
That's what the Black Bears earned Saturday as they outplayed Boston College down the stretch and scatched out a one-point win at Chestnut Hill.
The Black Bears (7-5) controlled the tempo of the game and dared Boston College (9-5) to win from the outside. The Eagles did hit nine 3-pointers, but when they didn't, UMaine usualy grabbed the rebound and patiently worked the offense.
Coming into the game, the Eagles were ranked No. 97 in the RPI while Maine stood at 220.
UMaine consistently found good shots underneath. Big hoops late in the game from Gerald McLemore (14 points), Junior Bernal, Malachi Peay and Troy Barnies, as well as a couple free throws from Sean McNally (15 points, 7 rebounds) lifted the Black Bears.
A good win for a team that has struggled to close games in recent years. UMaine trailed by as many as eight points, but kept fighting back. Now, the task for the Black Bears is to take this momentum and confidence and push it over into the rest of the America East season.
UMaine closes its non-conference schedule with a game Monday at home against Princeton.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Top 10 Black Bears of the Decade
1-B
KEVIN REED (03-07)
When Kevin Reed pulled up for the make-or-break 3-point shot late in a quarterfinal round tournament game against UMBC in 2007, the outcome rode on its accuracy. And there couldn't have been a better person to take that shot. Reed had battled his way back from an injury that wiped out his '05-06 season and I don't think we were ever as sure about a shooter as whenever Reed let fly. It didn't go in (unlike his jumper to upset BU two years earlier), but it doesn't change a thing about Reed's legacy. Easily the top four-year Black Bear of the decade, Reed established a new school record for 3-pointers and shares the America East record for 3-pointers in a tournament game. He's remembered also for being a top rebounder. The powerful 6-3, 215-pounder averaged 13.5 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals a game for his career. He was a classy competitor.
1-A
ANDY BEDARD (99-00)
Getting the nod as player of the decade is Andy Bedard, who merely changed the culture around the program when he transferred home to Maine from Boston College. Bedard was a rare player, combining solid, fundamental play, a knack for the spectacular and a fierce will to win. A 6-1, 180-pound guard with explosive qualities, he guided UMaine to 42 wins during his two years in Orono. If not for the broken hand he suffered against Hartford in the conference tourney quarterfinals in 2000, who knows how things may have turned out. Bedard averaged 14 points, 7 assists and 2 steals a game for the Black Bears.
To recap, the list looks like this:
10. Justin Rowe
9. Errick Greene
8. Huggy Dye
7. Rickey White
6. Joe Campbell
5. Julian Dunkley
4. Eric Dobson
3. Nate Fox
2. Carvell Ammons
1-B. Kevin Reed
1-A. Andy Bedard
Honorable mention: Derrick Jackson, Colin Haynes, Ernest Turner
Note: Bedard (twice), Fox, Ammons, White and Rowe were Black Bears who earned first team All-America East honors during the decade.
KEVIN REED (03-07)
When Kevin Reed pulled up for the make-or-break 3-point shot late in a quarterfinal round tournament game against UMBC in 2007, the outcome rode on its accuracy. And there couldn't have been a better person to take that shot. Reed had battled his way back from an injury that wiped out his '05-06 season and I don't think we were ever as sure about a shooter as whenever Reed let fly. It didn't go in (unlike his jumper to upset BU two years earlier), but it doesn't change a thing about Reed's legacy. Easily the top four-year Black Bear of the decade, Reed established a new school record for 3-pointers and shares the America East record for 3-pointers in a tournament game. He's remembered also for being a top rebounder. The powerful 6-3, 215-pounder averaged 13.5 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals a game for his career. He was a classy competitor.
1-A
ANDY BEDARD (99-00)
Getting the nod as player of the decade is Andy Bedard, who merely changed the culture around the program when he transferred home to Maine from Boston College. Bedard was a rare player, combining solid, fundamental play, a knack for the spectacular and a fierce will to win. A 6-1, 180-pound guard with explosive qualities, he guided UMaine to 42 wins during his two years in Orono. If not for the broken hand he suffered against Hartford in the conference tourney quarterfinals in 2000, who knows how things may have turned out. Bedard averaged 14 points, 7 assists and 2 steals a game for the Black Bears.
To recap, the list looks like this:
10. Justin Rowe
9. Errick Greene
8. Huggy Dye
7. Rickey White
6. Joe Campbell
5. Julian Dunkley
4. Eric Dobson
3. Nate Fox
2. Carvell Ammons
1-B. Kevin Reed
1-A. Andy Bedard
Honorable mention: Derrick Jackson, Colin Haynes, Ernest Turner
Note: Bedard (twice), Fox, Ammons, White and Rowe were Black Bears who earned first team All-America East honors during the decade.
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