Bears have kept eye on calendar UM seeks to avenge loss to Cats

ORONO – Coaches almost never say that one game might mean more than another. How is it the mantra usually goes? Something like “You’ve just got to play each game one at a time and not look ahead.”

Well, the University of Maine men’s basketball game with Vermont at Burlington Wednesday looms so large for the Black Bears that even head coach John Giannini couldn’t downplay the significance of the game.

“We never should have lost this game here against them and we’re certainly carrying that with us into the game at their place,” Giannini said after Maine’s win over Binghamton University Saturday. “We should have won that game and we are definitely emotional about wanting to make things even.”

Vermont won the first meeting with Maine this season back on Jan. 2 on the strength of an off-balance, 3-point shot by Taylor Coppenrath from just beyond the top of the key with three seconds to play.

The result was a disappointing 65-62 loss to the Catamounts in which the Bears turned the ball over 23 times. Three turnovers in the final 28 seconds led to five Vermont points and turned a 62-60 Maine lead with two minutes left into a three-point loss in which the Black Bears did not score in the final 125 seconds.

Avenging that loss will hinge on three main factors: defense, particularly against Vermont star forward Taylor Coppenrath; turnovers; and shooting.

“Coppenrath will be one of the best players not only to play for Vermont but in conference history,” said Giannini of Vermont’s 6-foot-9 sophomore. “Coppenrath can single-handedly dominate a game, but I think Rickey [White] and Clayton [Brown] can defend him effectively.”

They’d better, as Coppenrath is the America East Player of the Week a second time this year and is AE’s leading scorer with 21.4 points per game, but they’ll have to keep an eye on the rest of the Cats’ lineup as well.

“They’re really big. They can really rebound the ball and score inside,” said Giannini, who thinks the development of his guard corps and the team’s overall quickness can negate many of Vermont’s strengths.