EVANSTON, Ill. – Despite the absence of three suspended players and second-half foul trouble, the undermanned University of Maine men surprised Northwestern University in the Wildcats’ season-opener with a 69-57 basketball victory Tuesday night.

“Before the season started, we put up a big board in our locker room and highlighted this game as a statement game,” said Maine Coach John Giannini. “America East teams don’t beat Big 10 teams. I’d say we made a statement.”

The 2-0 Black Bears, who were without the services of starters Fred Meeks and Marcus Wills as well as backup forward Linnell Marshall, used a 10-0 run midway through the second half to regain a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way.

Meeks, Wills, and Marshall missed the game for breaking team rules. Freshman point guard Huggy Dye will sit out Saturday’s game against Fairleigh Dickinson for the same violations, which Giannini wouldn’t elaborate on.

Giannini said he delayed Dye’s suspension one game because this was one of the few chances the parents of the Indianapolis, Ind., native would have to see him play.

The key run began with Maine down 42-40. The run started with sophomore forward Colin Haynes’ 3-pointer with 10:53 left and ended at 7:45 with a 3-pointer from Andy Bedard, who scored 14 consecutive points down the stretch en route to a game-high 31 points.

Guard David Newman (eight points, eight assists) ended a ‘Cats scoreless drought lasting five minutes, 54 seconds and pulled them within five points with a 3-pointer at the 5:26 mark, but the Bears answered. Bedard drew a foul with 4:25 left, sank both ends of the 1-and-1, and converted a traditional 3-point play 27 seconds later after driving the lane, scoring and drawing another foul.

The Wildcats scored back-to-back baskets to get within six (55-49) with less than three minutes left, but that was as close as they would get as the Bears milked the clock, drew fouls, and hit 10 of 11 foul shots in the last two minutes.

“People will see this score and it will turn some heads, especially when they see that Meeks and Wills didn’t play,” Giannini said.

The Bears also overcame the loss of Haynes and center Nate Fox, who fouled out with 4:53 and 2:01 remaining, respectively.

Maine shot 81 percent from the foul line to overcome 40 percent shooting from the field.

Northwestern took a nine-point lead (26-17) late in the first, but a Bedard 3-pointer and Allen Ledbetter layup cut it to 26-22 at halftime.

Dye (9-for-10 from the free throw line) was Maine’s second-leading scorer and top passer with 17 points and five assists. Haynes finished with 10 points while Ledbetter and Fox were big on the boards with 10 rebounds each.

Tavaras Hardy led the ‘Cats with 16 points. Two-time All-Big 10 selection Evan Eschmeyer was limited to 15, thanks to the solid defense of Ledbetter, who gave up five inches to the 6-foot-11 center.

“Allen said `Coach, Eshmeyer’s not going to get the ball,’ ” Giannini said. “He wanted to be the guy in front to stop him from getting the ball. Eschmeyer had only 10 shots, so he did a phenomenal job.”

Black Bears 69, Wildcats 57

Maine (2-0) Northwestern (0-1)

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

Haynes 3 9 2 2 10 Lepore 2 9 0 0 6

Ledbetter 2 3 3 5 7 Hardy 8 13 0 0 16

Fox 2 6 0 0 4 Eshmeyer 7 10 1 6 15

Bedard 10 23 7 9 31 Wink 3 12 0 0 9

Dye 4 9 9 10 17 Newman 2 8 2 2 8

Thidobeau 0 1 0 0 0 Bonner 0 0 0 0 0

Faison 0 1 0 0 0 Harmsen 1 2 0 0 2

Allouche 0 2 0 0 0

Pomeday 0 0 1 2 1

Molnar 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 21 52 21 26 69 Totals 23 56 4 10 57

Maine 22 69

Northwestern 26 57

3-pt. goals: Maine (6-17): Haynes 2-6, Fox 0-1, Bedard 4-6, Dye 0-2, Thidobeau 0-1, Faison 0-1; Northwestern (7-24): Lepore 2-7, Wink 3-11, Newman 2-5, Allouche 0-1

Attendance: 3,529