The University of Maine men’s basketball team lost its eighth game in a row in an uninspired contest Thursday against Vermont.
The 66-45 loss on the road, the Black Bears’ fifth in America East play, was its largest margin of defeat in conference play and third-largest of the season after losses to Ohio State, 95-61, and Akron, 87-55.
The Catamounts got to the rim with ease and hit a couple 3-pointers as well, scoring eight points in the last 2:15 of the first half. Vermont shot 13-26 from the field in the first 20 minutes.
UMaine scored just two points in the final 8:46 of the first half, including a 7:30 stretch of scoreless basketball. On the other side of the ball, Vermont scored 19 in the same 8:46, going from trailing by one to ahead 36-20 at the half.
Vermont scored the opening two buckets of the second half before UMaine’s Gedi Juozapaitis and Kristians Feierbergs answered with back-to-back buckets to make it 42-24 four minutes into the half.
On the ensuing Vermont possession, Finn Sullivan dunked the ball and then Robin Duncan grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in. On the next time down the floor for the Catamounts, TJ Hurley hit a 3-pointer and gave Vermont a 47-24 lead with 13:55 to play in the game.
Juozapaitis answered with two 3-pointers of his own to pull UMaine within 47-30 seven minutes in. Maine turned to a zone and forced two Vermont turnovers quickly with 10 minutes to play, but the defensive success was quick as Vermont went on a 6-0 run and with nine minutes left held a 55-32 lead.
Tynes grabbed his second steal of the game with about four minutes to play and scored to make it 60-42 with around four minutes left, but all game UMaine struggled to pull within a reasonable range to make a realistic comeback.
LeChaun DuHart hit a 3-pointer in the final minute to get to 11 points on the game for UMaine. Juozapaitis led UMaine with 13 points on 5-13 shooting.
Sullivan and Hurley both scored 13 to pace Vermont.
The Black Bears shot 18-49 from the floor and just 3-4 from the free throw line. Vermont got to the line 12 times, knocking down nine.
Juozapaitis, Clayton, Tynes and Ja’Shonté Wright-McLeish all played more than 30 minutes for the Black Bears.
UMaine will host Binghamton at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
