DURHAM, N.H. – At long last, Maine started to look like the team that many thought could win the America East conference. It took a trip to their nearest rival to do it, as the Black Bears took care of New Hampshire 70-53 to break a six-game losing streak, five of the games coming in conference play.
On Tuesday night, Maine looked a lot like the team they were thought to be early on, when they started off America East play with an 8-1 mark. They played like a conference favorite, showing a solid combination of size, talent, depth, experience and intangibles. Several teams in the conference have more than the Black Bears in one of those areas, but no team has the combination of them they have.
In the first half, Maine got just about anything they wanted on offense. They got the ball inside often, whether via entry pass to a post player or a drive to the basket by players like Gerald McLemore or Terrance Mitchell. Then they would either get layups on the drives, post baskets or layups via good interior passing. It translated into nearly 52 percent shooting for the half, and their 22-12 edge in points in the paint meant that it didn’t matter that they were 0-3 from long range. Because they got it inside so much and got the shots they did, it felt like they shot much better.
“If you didn’t fight in the paint, you weren’t going to win the game,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion.
Maine looked like the balanced team they appeared to be early in conference play. McLemore scored a game-high 26 points, driving and hitting mid-range jumpers. Sean McNally (14 points on 7-9 shooting, nine rebounds) and Troy Barnies (10 points, six rebounds, three assists) led the battle inside, and promising freshman Alasdair Fraser had his moments with eight points and three rebounds in 18 minutes. Maine had just seven assists on 25 field goals, but it didn’t matter on this evening.
One thing that didn’t get solved was Mitchell’s offensive struggles. After providing instant offense in a reserve role earlier in the season, Mitchell shot below 30 percent during the six-game losing streak. He went 0-3 on Tuesday night with five points in a game he started, and while his play was certainly not the only reason the Black Bears were losing games, his decline was perhaps most noticeable during that stretch.
In the second half against New Hampshire, Maine’s defense sealed the game, as their zone kept the Wildcats from getting the ball inside and they couldn’t buy a bucket from long range all night. New Hampshire was 3-20 from long range, including 0-9 in the second half, and with the zone, they didn’t get the ball inside to the likes of Dane DiLiegro (14 points on 4-5 shooting, 11 rebounds) and Brian Benson, who was a complete non-factor.
With the win, the Black Bears will likely finish in the top half of the conference, avoiding a truly epic collapse. Had they lost Tuesday night and to Albany on Sunday, the Black Bears could have finished outside the top four, going from conference leader to having to wear a road jersey in the quarterfinals. With a win over Albany, they can bring some momentum into the conference tournament, where they will still be a threat to emerge as champions.
Maine has proven itself very capable of winning this season. They won at UMass and Penn State, and handed Vermont one of its two losses in conference play in Burlington, which could help if they get to the title game and have to face the Catamounts again. But their six-game losing streak shows that this team can be beat. Which team shows up in a week is unknown, but on Tuesday night they took a step toward looking like the team that started off 8-1 in conference play is more likely to be the one in West Hartford.
