Logan gets Bears on right track> Stretch run secures 2nd NAC win

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BOSTON – Senior center Greg Logan scored six points to power a 10-2 second-half run and the University of Maine made 12 of 16 free throws down the stretch Sunday on the way to a 76-62 North Atlantic Conference basketball victory over Northeastern at Walter Brown Arena.

Coach Rudy Keeling’s Black Bears, who improved to 3-1, are 2-0 in league play for the first time in 17 NAC seasons. Maine departed Boston Sunday bound for Chicago where the Bears play DePaul on Tuesday night.

Northeastern slipped to 0-5, 0-2 in the NAC.

Keeling was glad to see his team stay focused, even though many of the players were looking forward to Sunday night’s trip home to Chicago.

“They didn’t look past Northeastern. They went out and won it,” Keeling said.

Maine made its move early in the second half, getting its transition attack clicking without committing the turnovers that had slowed the Bears in the first half. Matt Moore scored six points, including two layups and a pair of foul shots, as the Bears extended a 31-30 halftime lead to 40-36 with 14:45 to play.

“I talked to the guys at halftime about being able to keep their poise, to keep playing the way we were playing, and to stop turning the ball over,” said a delighted Keeling. “I thought that the seniors really stepped up, Matt and Casey [arena] and Greg.”

Northeastern’s Lin Lattimore scored in traffic to cut the deficit to two, but Arena hit a 16-footer to spark Maine’s decisive run. Logan exerted his inside influence, scoring 14 seconds apart on a put-back and a layup in traffic to make it 46-38 with 13:11 left.

“Greg had one rebound at halftime, but he was a man on the boards in the second half and I think he had nine,” Keeling said.

The Huskies slowed the momentum when Edwin Harmon banked in a 10-footer, but layups by Allen Ledbetter and Logan gave the Bears a 10-point lead. Maine answered a couple of runs by the hosts, then made enough free throws to put the game away.

Moore paced Maine with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Logan provided 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Ramone Jones tossed in 13 points, including 12 in the first half to get the Bears off on the right foot.

Arena contributed eight points and a game-high nine assists.

Harrell scored 13 points and Damon Singletary netted 12 for the Huskies. Harmon added eight points and seven rebounds.

Jones was the emotional catalyst for the Bears in the early going, and Keeling said the junior swingman has been Maine’s best player this season.

“Ramone, he’s our MVP so far,” Keeling said. “He was pumped, and he gave a little speech to the guys before the game, telling the guys they have to have the intensity and get after these guys.”

Black Bears 76, Huskies 62

Maine men Northeastern

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

Jones 5 8 2 4 13 Harrell 4 14 4 4 13

Logan 6 9 2 2 14 Lattimore 3 3 0 0 6

Arena 3 10 2 5 8 Harmon 3 7 2 3 8

Moore 4 9 7 10 16 Powell 2 3 0 0 4

Long 1 3 2 2 4 McIntosh 1 5 5 9 7

Ledbetter 2 5 2 7 6 Miller 2 3 0 0 4

Gordon 1 4 4 4 6 Wills 0 2 0 0 0

Collins 2 5 0 0 4 McGraw 0 0 0 0 0

Nash 2 2 0 0 5 Fraser 1 1 2 2 4

Thomas 0 0 0 0 0 Baker 0 3 3 4 3

Singletary 5 11 0 0 12

Cox 0 1 1 2 1

Totals 26 55 21 34 76 Totals 21 53 17 24 62

Maine 31 76

Northeastern 30 62

3-pt. goals: Maine (3-13): Jones 1-3, Arena 0-1, Moore 1-5, Gordon 0-3, Nash 1-1; Northeastern (3-14): Harrell 1-6, McIntosh 0-3, Wills 0-1, Singletary 2-4