A thrilling comeback ended in a disappointing loss for the men's basketball team as the University of Southern Maine (USM) Huskies walked away with a 70-68 victory at Tuesday night's home opener. With their first loss of the season, the Polar Bears fall to 3-1, while the Huskies improve to 5-1.
USM carried a 43-32 lead heading into halftime with sharp shooting from 3-point territory and 17 second-chance points. After the half, the Polar Bears switched to man-to-man coverage, which held USM's scoring to a minimum, and helped Bowdoin offensively with a 9-0 run to start the second half.
The teams battled for the lead for the remainder of the game, and with 14 seconds remaining, USM held a 67-66 lead. USM missed the front end of a one-and-one, and junior Ryan O'Connell fought for the rebound, getting fouled in the process. He calmly sunk both free throws, giving the team a one-point lead.
Husky Cortez Isaac brought up the ball but had it knocked loose. After regaining possession, Isaac launched a desperate 3-point shot, but was fouled by Bowdoin's Justin Nowell '12. Isaac sunk all three of his resulting free throws, securing the victory for USM.
"It was definitely a tough loss after such a big comeback," said Nowell. "But it is still just one game, and this year we made it a team goal to not get too high or too low after any win or loss. We can't dwell it on it. It's just time to move on to the next one."
Will Hanley '12 finished with 18 points and seven boards for the Polar Bears, as O'Connell and Tom Carter '12 finished with 13 points apiece.
The team looks to improve from last year's 13-12 record and has gotten off to a strong start after winning the Tip-Off Tournament at Roger Williams University. The Polar Bears earned the championship title against the host team with a 74-71 win. Hanley posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the victory, and was named Tournament MVP (See story, right). Max Staiger '13 was also named in the All-Tournament team.
The team returns one senior, captain Randy DeFeo, as well as a group of experienced juniors including Second-Team All-Maine selection Will Hanley. The team also brings in a group of talented first years, some who have already seen substantial time off the bench.
Nowell is confident in the team's outlook this season.
"The two main goals we set for this year are to win 20 games and to make the NCAA tournament," he said. "We are looking to improve by trying to win the games we are supposed to win. Once we get into league we all know it is going to be a battle every game, so winning as many non-conference games as possible is a huge key for us."
The Polar Bears will travel to Bates on Saturday, looking to rebound from Tuesday's loss. The in-state rivalry has frequently showcased nail-biters, as the last five meetings between the two have been decided by either less than three points or overtime. Tip-off is schedule for 2 p.m. in Lewiston.