Division I Bears beat up NAIA’s UM-Machias Flavin, Bruff, Jackson lead Maine

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ORONO – Tuesday night’s game between the University of Maine men and the University of Maine-Machias was merely an exhibition game. As far as win-loss records, ratings percentage index points, and conference standings, it didn’t count.

That wasn’t how the players involved in this historic game looked at it, however.

The first-ever basketball clash between the Black Bears and Clippers happened to come at a time when one team is the state’s top NAIA Division II hoops power and the other is Maine’s only Division I program.

So there was a little bit more than preseason practice and tuneup time as two of the best regional roundball powers in New England faced off. And at least until the next time these in-state schools square off, the Bears will enjoy bragging rights, thanks to an 82-50 victory at Alfond Arena.

“We knew that obviously we were the better team, so we wanted to come in and make it a point to establish the difference between Division I and Division II,” said senior forward Mark Flavin, who led the Bears with 18 points and also grabbed nine rebounds despite playing on a bruised heel.

Tuesday’s game also provided Maine’s younger players and those whose 2003-04 season didn’t go well a chance to get this season off on the right foot – players like sophomore guard Chris Bruff and senior swingman Jermaine Jackson.

“Both those guys give us great depth,” said Maine coach Ted Woodward. “It’s nice to have talented guys who give us different dimensions and they both should help us a lot this year.”

Bruff had 14 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes while Jackson, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament after last year’s first regular season game, had 10 and 10, respectively, in the same amount of playing time.

“I’m just trying to make plays going to the basket,” said the 6-foot-3, 228-pound Bruff, who put on 10 pounds but appears to have kept his quickness. “If someone hedges, I’m passing the ball and if not, I’ll take the shot, and I pride myself on rebounding… going for a double-double every night.”

University of Nevada-Las Vegas transfer Ernest Turner, a guard, also looked impressive at times en route to 15 points.

Junior guard Kevin Reed was solid with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Sophomore guard Nedrie Simmons led the 4-1 Clippers with 20 points, while freshman guard Joel Davila chipped in with 12 points and six boards.

The difference in Tuesday’s game was in statistical fundamentals such as field goal shooting (Maine shot 45.1 percent to UMM’s 29.5), free throw shooting (Maine 63.2 to UMM’s 40.9), and rebounding (Maine, 56 to 34 overall).

“We were coming in here trying to win a game, but we’re also looking for continual improvement and we saw that, but we also made more mistakes than we like,” said UMM coach Randy Lee, who was formerly a UMaine assistant coach along with Woodward.

Lee was without all-Sunrise Conference player Wayne Clarke, who has missed all five games with a sprained ankle. Maine was missing senior guard and tri-captain Freddy Petkus, who is battling a disc problem and back pain which he says could force him to miss this season as a medical redshirt.

BLACK BEARS 82, CLIPPERS 50

UM-Machias Maine

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Munro 2 10 2 10 6 Turner 5 15 15

Morgan 0 6 0 0 0 Reed 4 8 10

Johnson 2 9 1 2 5 Dubois 0 3 4

Simmons 7 12 3 6 20 Campbell 3 6

Davila 5 13 0 0 12 Markwood 1 3

Holyfield 0 0 0 0 0 Sanchez 0 0 0

Dussard 1 4 2 2 4 Bruff 5 8 14

Calligan 0 1 0 0 0 Flavin 9 14 18

Midgley 1 6 1 2 3 Jackson 4 9 10

Rodriguez 0 0 0 0 0 Ahvenniemi 1 2

Kardish 0 0 0 0 0 Harknell 0 0

McCoy 0 0 0 0 0

Cerimagic 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 18 61 9 22 50 Totals 32 71 12 19 82

UM-Machias 27 50

Maine 42 82

3-pt. goals – UM-Machias (5-14): Simmons 3-4, Davila 2-5, Dussard 0-1, Morgan 0-2, Midley 0-2; Maine (6-15): Reed 2-4, Turner 2-6, Markwood 1-2, Jackson 1-2, Ahvenniemi 0-1

Attendance: 1,127