It was an up and down season for the University of Maine men’s basketball team, who last year were just one game away from clinching their first ever appearance into March Madness. UMaine finished 8-24, with a 6-10 record in conference play.
Maine entered this game as the 6th seed, while their opponents played themself into the 3rd spot with a 10-6 record in conference play.
The Black Bears played the NJIT Highlanders closely and fell by just two points. The game was competitive from the get-go and Maine went down swinging.
TJ Biel, a graduate transfer forward who had led Maine in scoring most of the season, had a strong first half, where he scored six points and added two rebounds. Biel had a fantastic season that landed him on the All-Conference 2nd team, as well as the All-Conference defensive team.
Joining him on the defensive team was third-year guard Logan Carey, who contributed eight points, four assists and two steals of his own.
Fourth-year guard Mekhi Gray also fought hard. The former Highlander scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in the opening 20 minutes to give Maine a strong start.
That momentum would continue into the next eight minutes, as UMaine jolted out to an early second half run that would put the team up five down the stretch. Fourth-year forward, Keelan Steele, contributed nine points in the run. He would log a total of 11 points in his final game of college basketball.
The Seniors did their part, but it was first-year forward Ace Flagg who led the team in scoring with 14 points on an efficient 55% from the floor. With 11 seconds left in the game, and Maine down two, Flagg would score down low off an assist from Carey to tie the game.
Unfortunately, Maine could not find an answer for NJIT’s second-year guard Ari Fulton, who scored six-straight for the Highlanders in the final minute and a half. The most important of those shots was a buzzer-beating mid-range jumper to end UMaine’s season in heartbreaking fashion. His backcourt mate in third-year guard Sebastian Robinson additionally scored a game-high 21 points.
UMaine now shifts their program’s focus to the offseason, with questions surrounding how the roster may look in a few months’ time, considering four of their five leading scorers are seniors.
The most impactful storyline to follow this offseason will be the uncertainty around if Ace Flagg will remain here. Flagg finished on the America East’s all-rookie team and will garner attention in the transfer portal. However, if Flagg decides to stay, he will undoubtedly be the focal point of the team next season.
The Black Bears will hit the transfer portal looking to rebuild, with hopes of returning to contention for the America East title next winter.
