Junior forward Jayden Martinez pumped in a game-high 23 points and hauled down seven rebounds on Sunday afternoon as the University of New Hampshire earned a 62-58 America East men’s basketball victory over the University of Maine at Memorial Gym in Orono.
UMaine won Saturday’s game against the Wildcats 59-56.
UNH, which was without leading scorer Nick Guadarrama (lower-body injury) improved to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in America East while UMaine fell to 1-4 and 1-3, respectively.
Martinez, who was held to seven points in Saturday’s loss, nearly eight points below his average, atoned on Sunday as he went 9-for-16 from the floor. He helped the Wildcats build a 60-46 lead in the second half.
UMaine sophomore guard Ja’Shonte’ Wright-Mcleish rallied the Black Bears to within two (60-58) as he scored 10 points during a 12-0 run.
Martinez hit a free throw with 13 seconds left to expand the lead to three but UMaine’s Ata Turgut missed a last-second 3-pointer and Marque Maultsby added a free throw.
Qon Murphy tallied 11 points and five rebounds for UNH and Blondeau Tchoukulengo registered seven points, three rebounds and four assists.
Maultsby finished with six points and three assists and Tayler Mattos had six points, three rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots.
Wright-Mcleish was UMaine’s leading scorer with 12 points and Stephane Ingo grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds to go with his 10 points and four blocked shots.
Mykhailo Yagodin netted 10 points, LeChaun DuHart scored seven points and Blue Hill’s Taylor Schildroth scored six points and handed out three assists. Precious Okoh added five points.
UNH shot 20-for-28 from the foul line while UMaine was just 7-for-17.
UNH had a 32-22 edge in points in the paint and scored 16 points off UMaine turnovers compared to UMaine’s five off UNH miscues.
UMaine travels to take on America East newcomer New Jersey Institute of Technology at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Newark, New Jersey.