UMaine gets huge win in Burlington

The University of Maine men's basketball team defeated Vermont by the score of 72-58 on Tuesday night at Patrick Gymnasium. Maine is now 11-7 overall and 5-1 in America East play while Vermont falls to 12-5 and 3-2 in league play.

Maine was led by America East Player of the Game Gerald McLemore (San Diego, Calif.) who notched 14 points, including his 1,000th career point.

The teams got off to a back-and-forth start, with Maine holding a 7-6 lead four minutes into the game on five points from McLemore and a bucket from Troy Barnies (Auburn, Maine).

The Black Bears would score seven out of the next 10 points to take a 14-9 lead with 13:27 left in the first half. The Black Bears expanded the lead to 17-9 on a Terrance Mitchell (Milton, Fla.) three-pointer from the corner just under seven minutes into the half.

Mike Allison (Lynden, Ontario) would make a nice move down low to put Maine up 21-11, and a Raheem Singleton free throw would make it 22-11.

The Catamounts came back to make it 22-16 with just under nine minutes to play. Singleton would convert four out of his next five free throws to give Maine a 25-18 lead with seven minutes left.
After Vermont made it? 27-23, the Black Bears would get a stop and Singleton and Malachi Peay (Brooklyn, N.Y.) came out racing on a two-on-one. Singleton made a nicepass to Peay who got hammered, but converted the layup.
McLemore then stole the ball and found a streaking Singleton for the layup to give Maine a 31-23 lead with 3:23 left.

Vermont converted a free throw, before McLemore made a tough layup and the Catamounts followed with a basket of their own and Maine took a 37-28 lead into halftime.

?McLemore led Maine with seven points and two steals in the first half while Fraser added four points and five boards.

Maine shot 46.9 percent in the first half while holding Vermont to 30.8 percent shooting.

The Catamounts would score the first seven points to cut the lead to three before Barnies was able to score down low.

Vermont made it 39-37 before Singleton would drive to the basket and Andrew Rogers followed with a three to give Maine a 44-37 lead with 12:25 left in the game.

The teams alternated baskets before Singleton made a three and McLemore a layup in between a Catamounts bucket to give Maine a 55-45 lead with 6:36 left. Vermont made a basket before McLemore made two free throws, the first of which was his 1,000th career point.

The team teams traded baskets before Barnies had a huge put back dunk off a Singleton miss to give Maine a 60-49 lead with just under five minutes left. Maine would get a couple key stops before shooting free throws the rest of the way to seal the win.

Vermont was led by its America East Plater of the Game Evan Fjeld who had 18 points.

--UMAINE COMMUNICATIONS--