CATONSVILLE, Md. – Philippe Tchekane Bofia scored a career-high 21 points and four other Black Bears scored in double digits as the University of Maine snapped a six-game losing streak with a 77-74 men’s basketball victory over the University of Maryland Baltimore County Saturday night.

The Bears evened their America East conference record at 1-1 while handing the UMBC Retrievers their first league loss. Maine is 5-10 overall while UMBC is 11-6 (3-1 in league play).

“Everybody had a good game. We played very good team basketball and concentrated on making the extra pass,” said Maine coach Ted Woodward. “Defensively, we came with great purpose and everyone did a great job. A lot of different guys stepped up.

Maine senior center Brian Andre added 14 points while sophomore point guard Junior Bernal and junior guard Kaimondre Owes added 12 points each. Bernal also dished out a season-high eight assists.

Sophomore guard Mark Socoby of Houlton had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds despite taking just three shots from the field.

The Black Bears bested UMBC in almost every major statistical category, outrebounding the Retrievers 28-12 on the defensive boards and 36-27 overall and outshooting UMBC 64.4 -a Maine season high – to 40 percent from the field.

“We were consistent in every aspect of the game from start to finish,” Woodward said.

Brian Hodges led the Retrievers with 21 points. Ray Barbosa had 19 points and Darryl Proctor 15 for UMBC, which was denied a season-high fourth straight victory.

“The whole thing about them is they have four double-digit scorers and a fifth guy leading the league in assists. They make you defend all five positions,” Woodward said. “That’s why I think it’s such a great team effort because we made them have to work for their baskets all night long. I think they’ve shot 52 percent in their league games and they were at 40 against us.”

Maine committed 14 turnovers to UMBC’s four, but the Retrievers were unable to capitalize.

Maine opened the second half on an 11-2 run, with consecutive baskets by Jordan Cook capping the decisive burst for a 47-37 lead. The Black Bears were 14-for-20 from the field in the second half, hitting eight of their first 10 attempts.

The Retrievers trailed by as many as 12 points on Socoby’s three-point play with 13:18 remaining, but rallied to cut the lead to a point twice in the final 1:09.

Barbosa hit the back end of a one-and-one to get UMBC within 73-72 with 30 seconds to go, and Socoby threw away the ensuing inbound pass only to have the Retrievers’ Jay Greene knock the loose ball out of bounds during a multiplayer scrum.

Socoby knocked down free throws for a 77-72 lead with 13.4 seconds left, but Barbosa retaliated with a basket. Bernal missed two foul shots with 7.7 seconds remaining and Barbosa’s attempted game-tying 3-pointer from the left side with 1.2 seconds left missed.

Tchekane Bofia had 13 first-half points for the Black Bears en route to a 36-35 halftime lead.

BLACK BEARS 77, RETRIEVERS

Maine men (5-10) UMBC (11-6)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Barnies 1 2 0 0 2 Johnson 4 11 10

Bofia 8 12 2 2 21 Proctor 5 12 15

Cook 2 3 0 0 4 Greene 0 2 0 0

Bernal 5 8 2 8 12 Hodges 8 17 21

Socoby 2 3 5 5 10 Barbosa 7 17 19

Owes 4 8 4 4 12 McKnight 0 0 0

McNally 1 1 0 0 2 Spadafra 3 7

Andre 6 8 2 3 14 Fry 1 5 2

Totals 29 45 15 22 77 Totals 28 70 11 18 74

Maine 36 77

Md. Baltimore County 35 74

3-pt. goals – Maine (4-12): Bofia 3-6, Socoby 1-2, Bernal 0-2, Owes 0-2; UMBC (7-26): Hodges 3-10, Barbosa 3-12, Spadafora 1-2, Greene 0-2

Attendance: 2,510