Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
Every year, the America East Conference brings with it a new challenge and provides another test to its members. This season is no different, with the emergence of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in the conference.
With the Retrievers’ induction into the league comes the knowledge that a new opponent has arrived, bringing with it new tasks for a competitive league. UMBC’s addition into the league brings with it two new games on the schedule for every league member. The two new conference games promise to test the durability of the 10-team league and will surely increase the parity of the conference. This Saturday, the University of Maine men’s basketball team will get its first chance to tussle with the Retrievers, during their first America East matchup.
The game promises to be a match-up that will expose two underrated squads who went into the season unheralded. For the Black Bears, it marks their 17th regular season game of the year and more importantly a chance to add another victory to a wins column that has been quietly growing. Maine entered the season with very little press and has managed to slide into the modest position of fourth place in America East.
The early season success can largely be attributed to a defense that has stifled many opponents and managed to slow down the attacks of highly touted offenses. The most talked about offense in the conference, Vermont, was put to the test by the Black Bears and managed to barely escape with a victory after trailing throughout the game, earlier this month. This Black Bear defense has achieved success by applying stress on its opponents and forcing them to take poor shots and shoot a low field goal percentage. This Saturday evening Head Coach John Giannini and his Black Bears will hope to follow the same strategy to find success.
Another large factor in the Black Bears’ success this season has been their versatile offense. Maine’s roster has seen increasingly good play from its former reserves and bench players. Forwards David Dubois and Mark Flavin have seen their minutes increase and have put up solid numbers to lift the weight off leading scorers Kevin Reed and Eric Dobson. Reed and Dobson rank one and two respectively for the Black Bears in points and contribute the most minutes of any two player duo on the Maine roster. Reed, the former All-America East Rookie Team member, is one of the most versatile players on the roster and is an expert at causing fits for opposing coaches. Whether he is stepping outside the arc to sink his deadly long range shot or making a slashing cut inside the paint, Reed has emerged as a vital part of Maine’s success. The other member of Maine’s scoring tandem, Dobson, has developed into one of the conference’s best guards. Dobson is dishing out an average of 5.7 assists per game and has established himself as the quarterback for the Black Bears half court attack.
With the loss of talented guard Jermaine Jackson early in the season to injury, Maine has had to look for others to fill the void. That void has been filled by the consistent play of Freddy Petkus and Chris Markwood. Petkus has established himself as one of the team’s primer outside shooters, while Markwood’s arrival from Notre Dame is one that comes with a warm welcome. Markwood, the former Maine High school Player of the Year, has seen plenty of minutes since his activation in mid-December and has played key roles in Maine’s victories.
Maine will come into Saturday’s home game after a tough road match with Boston University on Wednesday night. The results of this game as of press time were not available. The Black Bears are 10-5 on the year and 4-2 in the conference play, baring the outcome of the Boston University match. While UMBC enters the game with a dismal record of 5-10 on the season and 2-4 in conference competition. The Retrievers upset Hartford early this month and are hoping to do the same to Maine. The game tips off at Alfond Arena this Saturday at 7 p.m.
