The University of Maine men’s basketball team overcame a shaky start on Saturday in a mutual America East opener at Patrick Gym against the defending two-time league champion Vermont Catamounts, but the hosts outscored UMaine 30-18 down the stretch to rally for a 65-58 triumph.
Vermont is now 11-5 overall, while UMaine fell to 8-8.
UMaine fell behind 11-2 at the outset but rallied and led by four at the half.
But UVM used a 12-0 run to build a 53-42 lead with 5:59 to go.
Senior forward Peter Filipovity’s basket in the paint finished off a 9-2 UMaine spurt that cut the lead to 55-51 with 2:52 remaining.
But junior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye’s free throw 25 seconds later and a jump shot by Scarborough’s Nick Fiorillo with 1:31 remaining extended the lead to 58-51 and all but sewed up the victory.
Ayo-Faleye’s 14 points and six rebounds sparked the Catamounts. He also had two blocked shots, two steals and two assists. Graduate student forward Fiorillo had 13 points and two rebounds, and graduate student forward Matt Veretto contributed 12 points and four rebounds.
Junior guard T.J. Long chipped in nine points, three rebounds and two blocked shots, and graduate student guard Jace Roquemore had seven points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
UMaine was led by junior guard Kellen Tynes, who had a game-high 19 points to go with six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Filipovity had eight rebounds to go with 11 points; sophomore guard Jaden Clayton had 10 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals; and graduate student guard Ja’Shonte Wright-McLeish had eight points.
UVM outscored UMaine in the paint 44-28.
