Jairus Lyles connected for seven points during a pivotal second-half scoring run that lifted the University of Maryland Baltimore County to an 89-76 America East men’s basketball victory over the University of Maine on Saturday afternoon at the RAC Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
Lyles went 10-for-14 from the field and provided seven rebounds, four steals and three assists to lead the Retrievers (5-12, 1-1 AE).
Coach Bob Walsh’s Black Bears (4-11, 0-2 AE) lost their second straight game.
UMaine was without sophomore guard Kevin Little, who sat out with a bruised tailbone suffered against Vermont on Wednesday night. He is averaging 14.1 points per game.
The Black Bears had difficulties on defense as the Retrievers shot 59 percent (30-for-51) from the floor and outscored UMaine 24-4 from the foul line. UMBC tallied 46 points in the paint and converted the Black Bears’ 17 turnovers into 29 points.
Rodney Elliott scored 13 of his 21 points from the foul line and handed out eight assists for the winners, while Joe Sherburne netted 14 points and Jourdan Grant (4 steals) had 11. Will Darley added seven points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Junior guard Troy Reid-Knight connected for a team- and career-high 18 points to pace UMaine, which shot 49 percent (31-for-63) from the field and made 10 shots from 3-point range.
Freshman Lavar Harewood posted 13 points and five rebounds, senior Shaun Lawton tallied 12 points and three assists, and freshman Ilija Stojiljkovic added 10 points for the Black Bears. Senior Till Gloger and freshman Devine Eke added nine and eight points, respectively, while sophomore Aaron Calixte dished out six assists to go with six points.
UMaine and UMBC were tied at 59-all after Reid-Knight hit a 3-pointer with 9:33 remaining, but the Retrievers responded with a game-changing spurt.
Lyles opened the run with two free throws, then buried a 3-pointer after a UMaine turnover. The Bears missed their next three shots over two possessions and Darley countered for UMBC with a layup.
Reid-Knight answered with a jumper for the Bears, but Lyles made a layup and Elliott sank two free throws after one by UMaine’s Gloger. Sherburne followed with a conventional three-point play and Grant drove in for a layup that gave UMBC a 75-62 advantage with 4:53 to play.
Junior swingman Garet Beal of Beals Island missed his fourth straight contest with an ankle injury for UMaine.
UMaine returns to the court Wednesday at UMass Lowell for an 11 a.m. tip.