ALBANY, N.Y. – Joe Campbell of Bangor scored 10 points over the final 10 minutes of regulation after going scoreless for the first 30 minutes of the game, then hit a big 3-pointer at the beginning of overtime to help the University of Maine to a 73-66 men’s basketball win over Albany Sunday.

Campbell finished with 13 points, and helped preserve the victory by making a steal with 30 seconds to go in overtime and his team leading by five points.

Maine improved to 5-10, evened its America East record at 2-2, and earned a season sweep over the Great Danes. Albany dropped to 2-11, 0-4.

UMaine coach John Giannini said he was happy to escape with a victory.

“I’m ecstatic, frankly. We just needed a win in any way, shape or form,” Giannini told radio station WZON of Bangor after the game.

“We were fortunate to do the right things to win the game. We didn’t play great. Errick [Greene is] not at 100 percent, I don’t think Justin [Rowe] had a particularly good game. But I thought Joe Campbell played great. I thought Freddy Petkus played great.”

Rowe sent the game into overtime when he gathered in a Petkus alley-oop pass and dunked it home with 17.6 seconds to play in regulation.

“Poor Freddy. That’s the play that we tried to run against Vermont and Stony Brook and he couldn’t remember it, poor guy,” Giannini said. “Thank God he remembered it the third time around. We know we can go to that for a basket, and Freddy made a great pass and we executed it.”

Greene, who was battling the flu, finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Derrick Jackson added 13 points, eight assists and five rebounds while Clayton Brown had 13 points. Rowe finished with nine points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Earv Opong had given the Great Danes a 57-55 lead with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with a minute to play.

Will Brand’s potential game-winner missed as time expired for Albany.

Rhasheed Peterson tallied 20 points, Opong had 12 and Brand finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Great Danes.

Campbell led the Bears down the stretch, as he didn’t make his first shot until less than 10 minutes remained in the game, but still managed to finish with 13. He was fouled on his first bucket – a 3-pointer – and completed the four-point play to make it 49-46 UMaine.

He scored 10 points over the final 10 minutes of regulation, then jumpstarted the Bears’ overtime effort by burying a 3-pointer from the left wing on the first possession of the extra period.

The Great Danes played zone defense against the Black Bears, daring them to take the outside shot. UMaine obliged, hitting 12 of 28attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. Campbell was 3-for-7 and Brown went 4-for-8.”They say that unless you’re dominant physically on defense and you can just shut people down one-on-one, you have to give up something. And against us, they chose to give up some of those 3’s,” Giannini said.

“I have so much confidence in Joe shooting that shot because he’s worked so hard on it. His percentages reflect that,” he added

BLACK BEARS 73, GREAT DANES 66 (OT)

Maine (5-10) Albany (2-11)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Campbell 4 8 2 3 13 Wyatt 2 6 9

Brown 4 8 1 2 13 Brand 5 12 10

Rowe 4 7 1 4 9 Outtara 2 3 0 4

Greene 3 12 10 15 16 Opong 5 17 12

Jackson 3 8 5 6 13 Peterson 7 17 2 2 20

Petkus 3 8 0 0 9 Johnson 2 9 7

Young 0 0 0 0

Vukovic 2 4 0 4

Totals 21 51 19 30 73 Totals 25 68 16 66

Maine 35 57 73

Albany 29 57 66

3-pt. goals ? Maine (12-28): Campbell 3-7, Brown 4-8, Jackson 2-6, Petkus 3-8; Albany (7-25): Brand 0-1, Opong 2-8, Peterson 4-10, Johnson 1-6

Attendance: 693