Barring a miraculous finish to the regular season, the Black Bears have nearly cemented a second consecutive appearance in the play-in game of the conference tournament. Saturday, Maryland-Baltimore County visited Alfond Arena and left with an overtime triumph.
UMaine (8-16, 3-8 America East) is now alone in eighth place, one half game in front of Hartford, which visits Orono Wednesday. UMBC (10-13, 4-7) moves to seventh.
Gerald McLemore scored a career high 25 points, but the Black Bears shot only 39 percent from the field. UMaine had a chance to win the game on the final possession of regulation, but the offensive set bogged down and resulted in a McLemore fadeaway with a defender in his face.
In reserve roles, Kaimondre Owes bagged 15 points, Troy Barnies had six points and a game-high 11 rebounds and Andrew Rogers had eight assists.
UMaine hoisted 30 three-pointers, but made only eight (27 percent). Mark Socoby's shooting woes continued as he went 1 for 9 from deep. In the past two games, Socoby has gone 4 for 22 overall and 1 for 17 from behind the line.
Darryl Proctor, America East's second-leading scorer, punctured the Black Bears for 26 points with his patented lean-back jumper.
The Black Bears woes at Alfond Arena are reaching epic proportions. UMaine is now 2-4 in America East home games this season, 2-12 the past two.
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5 comments:
Maine launched 30 3s...two guys inside, McNally had 3 attempts, and Peay 3. Peay was 3-3. Something very wrong here. When is Woodward going to die by the 3.
Woodward is dying by the 3, has all season. This team is simply not going to win with Socoby shooting so poorly. His shooting percentage is terrible even before the last 2 games. I would say Maine is leaning too much on him to be the go to guy and he has proven that he cannot be a number 1 option on a winning team at this level. Probably a good number 2 or 3 who would find more openings with better players around him. Bottom line, Maine better get some players if they want to win games. McLemore and McNally have the potential but how much better are they going to get? What happened to Bernal tonight? These last few years trying to be a fan of this team...ugh! When will the pain cease.
It hasn't always been like this and it can change. That's what we have to remind ourselves during these tough days. The history of the UMaine program is that of one that can be competitive around .500most years and every once in a while spike above that and make a run. Unless something changes in the funding of the program and facilities, that's about the level where we fit.
We're nowhere near that now and what the administration should be looking for are signs that it's going to change.
I would have liked to see a play for Barnies (mid-range jumper, plus he's our best FG percentage guy) or Peay going to the hoop at the end of regulation. Why does it always have to be a long jumpshot? On the three most important possessions of the game -- up 4 late in regulation, final set of regulation and down 4 with about 1:00 left in overtime -- we executed poorly and ended up with poor to awful percentage shots.
Someone could say, 'Well, the defense was good and forced us into those shots.'
OK, but then how do you explain Darryl Proctor (who everybody in America East knows loves the 15-foot fadeaway) shooting nothing but 15-foot fadeaways all night. Many of them with the defender giving him plenty of room. The book on Proctor is make him put it on the floor. But no, we've got to play a game of chicken with the No. 2 scorer in the league and, surprise, he gets 26.
Who designs the offense they execute poorly? Who decided on the last play? Who decides the defense to play on Proctor? That is why things will not change. The players have proven that they can be competitive. The close games that have been lost have been because of game management.
Maybe Maine could win some games if they played the players that can actually shoot!! Why would you recruit a player like Doran mitchell and sit him on the bench. Give the kid a chance to prove himself. You can't tell me that he wouldn't contibute more than the pg currently playing. Has the coach even bothered to look at their stats! Not very good. I've seen this kid play a few times and he basically can score at will and make some really nice passes. In doing a little research on the kid he averaged 28 points a game, scored over 1,700 points in 2 seasons of high school ball and was an All American Mcdonald Nominee...sounds like he can shoot to me?? Maybe Ted Woodward just enjoys losing because he sure don't know how to WIN! Maine GET RID OF HIM AND BRING IN A NEW COACH THAT KNOWS HOW TO WIN GAMES...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!
FUSTRATED AND TIRED OF LOSING FAN!
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