Score: UAlbany 49, Maine 52

Location: Memorial Gym | Orono, Maine

Records: UAlbany (7-13, 3-2 America East), Maine (4-17, 2-3 America East)

Short Story: The University at Albany men's basketball team fell in a battle against the University of Maine in Orono.

Coach Killings: "It was a really disappointing loss after a big win at home against Vermont. Maine is a tough place to win, and I give credit to Coach Markwood and his team, they're well prepared and a really good group. I thought we got off to a good start in the first half, but we could have built a bigger lead. In the second half, they went to a zone, we struggled to make shots and turned the ball over, and to their credit, they executed down the stretch. We did not."
 
Key Stats:

• Abdoulaye Fall led UAlbany with 16 points on 6-11 shooting (54.5%) from the field and 4-4 (100%) from the free throw line, adding five rebounds.
• Zacharie Matulu led UAlbany with nine rebounds and added eight points on 3-9 (33.3%) shooting.
• Amir Lindsey was the Great Danes assistant leader with five.
• Isaac Abidde scored eight points on 3-6 (50.0%) shooting and 2-2 (100%) from three, finishing with four rebounds.
• Okechukwu Okeke posted six points on 3-5 (60.0%) shooting with seven rebounds.
• As a team, UAlbany shot 20-53 (37.7%) from the field, 4-23 (17.4%) from three-point range, and 5-8 (62.5%) at the free throw line.
• Maine shot 18-49 (36.7%) from the field, 5-18 (27.8%) from three-point range, and 11-16 (68.8%) at the free throw line.

How it Happened:

• Both teams opened the game slowly, with the Great Danes scoring the first five points over the opening five minutes before Maine recorded its first basket with just under 15 minutes remaining.
• Leading 10–4, Maine responded with an 8–0 run over the next five minutes to take its first lead of the game, 12–10.
• UAlbany answered with a decisive 13–1 surge, fueled by three field goals from sophomore guard Amir Lindsey, to regain the lead at 25–16 with 13:01 remaining in the first half.
• A powerful dunk from Okechukwu Okeke with four minutes left in the half kept the Great Danes rolling and extended the lead to 27–18.
• UAlbany closed the half on a steal that led to a buzzer-beating tomahawk dunk by Tarique Foster, sending the Great Danes into the locker room with a 33–24 advantage.
• Maine opened the second half by outscoring UAlbany 10–6 over the first nine minutes to cut into the deficit.
• With seven minutes remaining, the Black Bears used an 8–0 run to take a 44–43 lead with 4:25 left in the game.
• UAlbany briefly reclaimed the lead, 45–44, on a jumper from Isaac Abidde with 4:08 to play.
• Maine answered again to go up 46–45, before a free throw from Zach Matulu tied the game at 46–46 with 3:21 remaining.
• Maine pushed ahead 50–46 in the final two minutes, before Abidde knocked down a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to one, 50–49.
• The Black Bears converted their final two free throws to secure the 52–49 victory.

 
UP NEXT: UAlbany next heads to Durham, New Hampshire, where they'll face the University of New Hampshire Wildcats on Saturday, January 24. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 PM.
 
Social Central
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