The Quinnipiac Bobcats deserved to win Sunday’s game in Orono against the University of Maine men’s basketball team.
The visitors outplayed the Black Bears on their home court in the second half, outscoring UMaine 42-28 in those final 20 minutes on the way to a 70-64 win on the Skip Chappelle Court at Memorial Gym.
The Bobcats also nabbed an eye-popping 18 rebounds on the offensive glass.
Despite those disparities in the second half and at the rim, it was a patently incorrect call by the officials that came to define the end of the game.
With UMaine trailing by four points in the final minute of the contest, Quinnipiac’s Keith McKnight took the ball to the hoop in transition. But as he geared up for a statement dunk to close out the game, McKnight appeared to slip or slightly misjudge his distance from the hoop.
Though the replay splashed on the gym’s giant screen clearly showed that McKnight fell and missed that close-range shot on his own, a trailing Ace Flagg was perplexingly called for a foul.
Despite pleas from the crowd and UMaine team, the play could not be reviewed. And what should have been a situation with UMaine in possession of the ball down four turned into two free-throws for Quinnipiac. McKnight made those shots, and the Bobcats went on to win.
UMaine head coach Chris Markwood thought the referee knew afterward that he made the wrong call from the backcourt.
“That’s basketball,” Markwood said afterward about the play. “There’s going to be some missed calls. There’s going to be some bad calls. It’s part of it. But it didn’t look like he touched him at all.”
Markwood explained that referees are unable to review common fouls like the one supposedly committed by Flagg, who was well behind McKnight when the Quinnipiac player stumbled.
But Markwood wasn’t making any excuses after the game.
“For us, we got crushed on the offensive glass,” the coach added.
The second half struggles voided a strong first half for UMaine, which saw the highly-anticipated freshman Flagg make his home debut in Orono.
Flagg showed his grit early by diving on the floor for a steal, leading to a Logan Carey basket in transition. Flagg followed that up with rebounds on both ends of the floor that had the home fans excited.
Then forward Keelan Steele hammered home a powerful dunk, already his second of the afternoon, that got the crowd up on its feet and earned him an extra free-throw while getting fouled in the process.
Steele made the and-1 to put the Black Bears up 15-12 at the time.
Not long after, a defensive flurry from Flagg and the rest of the UMaine defense forced a shot clock violation and got a round of thunderous applause from the home fans.
As he did multiple times on Sunday, senior guard Ryan Mabrey knocked down a three-pointer, this time a big one from the corner, to make it 26-18 in favor of the Black Bears. Steele then added yet another rim-rocking dunk to go up 28-20 before he nabbed an offensive rebound and made a layup to stretch the lead to 11.
Graduate student forward TJ Biel knocked down two threes late in the first half to lead all scorers at the break with 14 points, followed closely by Steele with 13. UMaine took a 36-28 lead into halftime after Quinnipiac guard Samson Reilly made a three right before time expired.
Quinnipiac cut it to a five-point game around 13 minutes left after a pair of free-throws.
Markwood and the Black Bears bench were rightfully upset after goaltending wasn’t called when a Bobcats player rocked the backboard during a UMaine shot attempt, but their pleading with the officials was to no avail. However, the UMaine defense responded with another stop immediately after to get the ball back.
UMaine’s offense disappeared for a stretch midway through the second half, and an and-1 basket in transition for Quinnipiac cut the UMaine lead to 44-42 with a little over 11 minutes to play.
Bobcats forward Amarri Monroe made a jumper to tie the game shortly after at 44 points apiece.
The loud home fans may have helped McKnight miss two free throws to keep the game tied with around 10 minutes to play.
Then Bashir N’Galang missed both free throws on the next possession for UMaine, keeping the game tied for the moment.
Grant Randall made a layup to put the visitors up two, and senior guard Mekhi Gray answered with two free throws for UMaine.
Gray was there again to tie the game a few plays later after a well-placed transition pass from Mabrey set Gray up for a strong move to the hoop. But Gray came up hobbling and had to head to the bench after providing a much-needed spark to the Black Bears offense.
Mabrey provided a huge and-1 in the lane after getting a Bobcats defender in the air with a solid shotfake. He cut the deficit to one after his free-throw made it 52-51.
Monroe made things more difficult for UMaine with his own and-1 to put the Bobcats up 55-51 with just over six minutes to play.
Flagg had two three-pointers just barely miss in quick succession, and then picked up a foul while fighting for the ball on the defensive end. But even with the visitors in the bonus, the foul didn’t cost the Black Bears with the Bobcats unable to convert at the foul line.
UMaine Sophomore guard Caleb Crawford then provided some much needed momentum, draining a three to bring the Black Bears within one point and breathe some life into the Memorial Gym.
Down 55-54, the UMaine defense provided an initial stop, but a UMaine turnover led to a Jaden Zimmerman and-1 in transition that stretched the Bobcats lead to 58-54.
Steele added a single free throw for UMaine
Another UMaine turnover helped Quinnipiac get to the basket and go up six with under three minutes to play. The Bobcats made it a seven-point lead after a free-throw.
Biel added a much-needed three for UMaine with just under two minutes left to cut it back to a four-point game. But UMaine couldn’t nab multiple defensive rebounds on the next possession and McKnight made them pay with two free throws.
More free-throws from the visitors helped keep the game largely out of reach.
N’Galang added a gutsy and-1 in the lane that made it 66-61 with about 35 seconds left. That’s when then vexing call on Flagg in transition all but ended UMaine’s hopes of a comeback.
“That was the worst call I’ve ever seen,” an unidentified fan could be heard saying near the sideline after the loss for the home team.
UMaine is now 0-4 on the season and Quinnipiac moves to 2-2.
