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After Tuesday night’s duel between Beantown rivals Northeastern and Boston University, Northeastern head coach Ron Everhart made one comment that resonated all the way to the woods of Orono. When the well-regarded coach left the podium, after his team’s 82-68 beating at the hands of the Terriers, one thing seemed already etched in his mind: The Huskies’ Thursday night game was almost a must-win. The University of Maine men’s basketball team, scheduled to tussle with the Huskies in this “must-win” game, will also be looking for their own retribution.
“[This is] the biggest game of the year, without a doubt, for us,” said Everhart in reference to the engagement in Boston.
Maine, however, has its own reason to look forward to the game, which will serve as a battle for third place in the America East Conference. The last time these two foes went toe-to-toe, they provided fans with an instant classic. In the opponents’ last face-off, Northeastern left Alfond Arena with the narrowest of victories. The Huskies used the play of charismatic and sensational point guard Juan Barea to catapult them to win. Barea, who has recently made a habit of abusing the Black Bears, tallied 33 points on the night. It was Barea’s second straight game with 30 or more points against Maine, along with last year’s America East quarterfinals when he dropped 38 points.
That match was highlighted by a frantic pace that played out for the 40 minutes of regulation and nearly saw an extra frame. The Black Bears used a ferocious comeback to pull even with the Huskies with just a minute remaining. As the clock whittled down, both teams would exchange punches, unable to land the knockout. With Maine down by three and able to make its own destiny, Black Bear Mark Flavin missed a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer. Maine head coach John Giannini said after the game that the difference-maker was the turnovers.
“We did a lot well, expcet turnovers, which were the difference in the game,” Giannini said.
Maine is currently averaging 15.6 turnovers a game, while the Huskies are averaging 15.1 turnovers. This statistic will figure to be a key proponent in each teams’ success. The Black Bears must limit their amount of turnovers, which has been escalating lately, and force the Huskies to make some mistakes of their own.
If the heartbreaking defeat that played out only a month ago doesn’t add enough motivation, the Black Bears could be seeking revenge from last year’s quarterfinal defeat. In another classic bout, the two teams gave the America East Tournament one of its marquee match-ups. Northeastern escaped with a victory when Barea drained a long-range three-pointer as time expired. The loss extinguished Maine’s hope of returning to a second straight America East Tournament Final.
Along with the dazzling play of Barea, the match will boost another America East Conference Player of the Year candidate, Maines Kevin Reed. Arguabley, Reed has currently placed himself among the elite of conference. This season, Reed is averaging 14.6 points a game, ranking him eighth in the conference. Contributing to Reed’s scoring success is his uncanny ability to nail the long ball. The sophomore guard is ranked first in three-point field goal percentage at .408 and stands at fifth in the league for three-pointers. His three-point scoring has continually kept Maine in several matches this season and will undoubtedly have a big impact on how far the Black Blacks go in the postseason. Reed is also leading the America East in steals per game, averaging 2.4 pick-pockets this season. Reed’s most impressive statistic, however, may be his 7.3 rebounds per game, an average that ranks him second in America East, a category usually reserved for the big man of the league. Reed, who stands a modest six foot-three inches, continually, hauls down rebound after rebound for the Black Bears. His astonishing success on the glass has helped the Blacks Bears to a second-place ranking in the America East in rebounding.
In the America East Conference standings, both teams are stalemated in third place with records of 11-5. In overall records, Maine posts a 17-8 tally, while Northeastern is 17-10 on the season.
The Huskies and Black Bears this season have proved to be two of the best teams in America East, ranking first and second in the offense scoring, respectively. Both teams stand among the league best in three pointers made, scoring defense, rebounding, assists and steals. If the two previous games have proven anything, Thursday’s game will likely go down to the final whistle and give basketball fans the type of match they expect late in the season.
Bangor Daily News