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Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Maine falls in OT
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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ORONO — University of Maine sophomore Kevin Reed hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, but Dartmouth recovered for a 68-65 win, snapping the Black Bears' four-game winning steak. Leon Pattman scored 17 on his game-high 19 points in the second half and overtime, including all eight of his free throws, to lead Dartmouth (2-5). The Big Green made all 18 of their free throws after halftime. "We're disappointed in losing at home, especially in a game we fought so hard to come back," Maine Coach John Giannini said. "Dartmouth is a lot better than their record indicates, they were due for a win." Maine (4-2) outshot Dartmouth 52-36 percent and held a 18-10 rebound advantage in the first half, but its lead was only 28-26. "We knew they were a quicker team," Dartmouth Coach Dave Faucher said. "I don't like to use the word slow, I think we're a controlled team and, overall, I thought we played very controlled." Maine's senior guard Eric Dobson scored seven of his team-high 16 points in the first half. "It was real frustrating, it seemed like the shots were there but they weren't," Dobson said. "We couldn't seem to push the ball up the court." Dartmouth controlled the game's tempo, not allowing Maine to get up and down the court easily. The Big Green's half-court defense also gave the Black Bears problems, forcing 19 turnovers to only eight for Dartmouth. "We can't outrebound people by much more than 12 and we can't play much better defense in holding them to 35 percent shooting," Giannini said. "The most glaring thing is our turnovers." The Black Bears looked strong after halftime, building a 40-33 edge with 14:41 to go. Dartmouth answered with a 12-0 run while Maine's offense fell stagnant. "We were well prepared for what they were going to do," junior forward Joe Campbell said. "We gave them some easy shots." Maine clawed back to tie the game at 47 with less than nine minutes to go, but a 9-0 Dartmouth run gave the Green some temporary breathing room. A three-point play by Dobson cut Dartmouth's lead to 60-59 with 17.8 seconds to play in regulation and Maine immediately fouled Dartmouth's Steve Callahan. He made both free throws, giving the Big Green a 62-59 edge. Reed, Maine's leading scorer who was held to just 12 points on the night, hit his 3 on the ensuing possession to force overtime. "We had been in this situation before," Faucher said. "Our first four games were all close heartbreakers." Maine had a chance to pull off the win in overtime, but Pattman tipped away an offensive rebound from junior Freddy Petkus, forcing the Black Bears to foul with only 2.2 seconds left. "We need to learn from this game," said Campbell, who knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points. "We need to forget about it but remember it." Maine looks to bounce back at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Cumberland County Civic Center when it meets Morgan State.
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