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Despite holding the conference player of the year to a mere four points, the University of Maine men’s basketball team fell to No. 1 seed Hofstra yesterday 78-66, in the semifinal round of the America East tournament.
In a game in which they had to win, the Black Bears came out of the gate on fire. Maine, notorious for getting off to slow starts, began the game on a 6-0 run and increased the lead to 13-3 shortly into the game. Sophomore guard Rick Apodaca brought the Pride back, scoring Hofstra’s first eight points. With Maine leading 17-16, Huggy Dye hit two 3-pointers to begin a 12-6 run and increase the lead to 29-22. Dye, a junior guard, came off the bench to chip in 15 points.
A stellar defensive effort by Errick Greene held America East Player of the Year, Norman Richardson without a field goal for the game. With 2:48 left in the first half, Richardson knocked down a pair of free throws for his first points of the half. In his post game comments, coach John Giannini called Greene’s defense “outstanding and remarkable.”
Greene completely shut down one of the best scorers in the league. Richardson averaged 17.3 points per game during the regular season. Greene consistently denied the entry pass to Richardson and never let him escape for an open look at the hoop. Greene, whose offense was purely a bonus, added four points for the Black Bears.
Maine headed off the court at the end of the first half with a 41-38 lead, thanks in part to some unbelievable shooting numbers. The Black Bears set a new America East semifinal record shooting 76 percent from the floor in the first half. It is the second highest field goal percentage ever by a team in a half in America East tournament history.
Seniors Carvell Ammons and Julian Dunkley led the way for Maine shooting a combined 10 for 12 from the field in the first half. Derrick Jackson and Dye added eight points each, with the Black Bears shooting five for six from beyond the arc.
Hofstra senior forward Roberto Gittens gave his team its first lead of the day, opening the second half with two quick buckets. After an Apodaca three-pointer gave Hofstra a 45-41 lead, Ammons picked up a crucial foul, his fourth, and went to the bench with 18:04 left in the second half. Senior Colin Haynes converted the old-fashion three-point play to tie the game at 50 with 11:15 showing on the clock. Haynes crashed the boards off a Dunkley miss and was fouled as he made the put back. But Maine could not continue its torrid shooting in the second half. The Black Bears shot 33 percent from the floor in the second half.
Near the eight-minute mark of the second half, the Pride took the lead for good, sprinting out to a 69-58 lead. Hofstra outscored Maine 16-6 on a run led by reserve sophomore Danny Walker. Walker, forced into action after his teammate Greg Springfield got into foul trouble, came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points. Walker teamed with senior Jason Hernandez, who added 13 points, five assists, and committed no turnovers.
Carvell Ammons, named to the America East first team on Friday, ended his Maine career scoring 16 points. Julian Dunkley, a member of the America East second team, added 14 in his final game in blue. Colin Haynes added five points and five boards, ending his career at Maine winning more games than any other Black Bear in history.
Hofstra will host the conference championship Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN. The Pride are currently riding a 17-game win streak, the longest in the nation.
