UMBC

Chris Pugh hit a three-pointer to tie the game with 2.6 seconds remaining.

Orono, Maine-For the second time in as many games, the UMBC men’s basketball team dropped a three-point heartbreaker on the road, falling to America East rival Maine, 69-66, at Alfond Arena. The Retrievers fall to 9-17 overall and 5-10 in conference action, while the Black Bears improve to 11-15 on the season and 6-9 in league play.

The loss is UMBC’s third straight and fifth in their last six games, capping a winless America East road schedule. The Retrievers have one more game before the conference tournament, as they host first-place Albany at RAC Arena on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Retrievers led for most of the game, jumping out to a 10-0 lead, holding the Black Bears scoreless for the first 4:55 of play. UMBC held a 36-20 advantage at halftime as Maine missed 10-of-11 three-point attempts in the first half. The Retrievers were up by 20 points early in the second half before a 15-2 Maine run brought the Black Bears to within six at 42-35 with 14:51 to play.

UMBC still never trailed in the game until the 8:29 mark in the second half, when senior Ernest Turner hit a three-pointer to put Maine up, 54-51, in the middle of the decisive six-minute 18-2 run by the Black Bears.

Despite the furious Maine comeback, the Retrievers had a chance to send the game into overtime, as junior Chris Pugh scored from behind the arc to tie the game at 66-66 with 2.6 seconds remaining. However, Turner hit a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Black Bears the 69-66 victory.

Turner was brilliant on his Senior Night, hitting 7-of-8 from the floor in the second half for a game-high 23 points. He and his brother, Rashard Turner, combined for 33 second-half points and were a collective 16-for-21 from the floor, including 8-of-11 from three-point range on the game. Rashard Turner finished the game with 17 points.

After shooting just 9.1 percent from long distance in the first half, Maine connected on 11-of-14 three-point attempts (79 percent) in the second.

Jerrell Dinkins led the Retrievers with 19 points, and John Zito added 18, as the seniors combined to go 13-of-22 from the floor and added seven rebounds apiece. Sophomore Brian Hodges scored 12, and junior Mike Housman contributed 10 points in the loss.