The University of Maine men’s basketball program returned to the court after a 287-day layoff, falling to Hartford 63-60 on a last-second 3-pointer, after erasing a 15-point deficit, in the America East opener for both teams Saturday at West Hartford, Connecticut.
Stephane Ingo hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the second half to give the Black Bears the lead, but Maine was held scoreless the rest of the way, all the way through a Hunter Marks 3-pointer with two seconds on the clock gave Hartford the victory.
A pair of transfers fit right into Maine’s offense, as Adefolarin Adetogun and LeChaun DuHart led the way with 14 and 13 points respectively. DuHart also led the team with four assists, while Adetogun had three steals.
Redshirt sophomore Stephane Ingo had eight points and 10 rebounds. Dating back to last season, Steph has double-digit rebounds in his last six straight contests.
Ingo also recorded five blocks on the day, matching his career-high.
Vilgot Larsson contributed across the board with six points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
Maine shot 42.9 percent from the field in their opener, just under their season-high of 44.0 percent percent from the 2019-20 season. In the second half, Maine shot 53.6 from the field.
Maine returns to the floor at 2 p.m. Sunday for a rematch with Hartford.