The University of Maine men’s basketball team started their season out on a sour note, dropping their first game 99-57 to Butler University. The Black Bears were embarrassed by the University of Southern Maine in their first exhibition game before taking down Husson University to round out their preseason.
Butler has been a perennial contender in college basketball, making it to the NCAA Tournament Final Four twice and earning 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Bulldogs shot an efficient 71.9 percent from the field and dominated the paint, where they scored 64 of their 99 points.
The Black Bears could not keep pace with Butler offensively, shooting just 38.9 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers to Butler’s 12.
UMaine fourth-year forward Zarko Valjarevic led the way for the Black Bears, pouring in 12 points and pulling down six rebounds. First-year guard Aaron Calixte played well, matching Valjarevic’s 12 points and dishing out a pair of assists while recording two steals.
Four Bulldogs recorded double-digits points. Fourth-year guard Kellen Dunham led all scorers with 18 points while third-year Roosevelt Jones facilitated the offense, dishing out nine assists and chipping in 14 points with four rebounds.
The score stood at a 7-4 Butler lead 4 minutes into the contest before the Bulldogs went on a 12-2 run led by six points and a steal from Jones.
Valjarevic was fouled on a 3-point shot as time expired in the first half and hit all three of his free throws, but Butler cruised to a 43-27 halftime advantage.
Dunham jump-started the Bulldogs offense in the second half, hitting two straight 3-pointers. A pair of Butler dunks gave the Bulldogs a 10-point run and 53-27 advantage.
The Black Bears fought back, scoring seven straight points highlighted by a Calixte steal that led to a Valjarevic transition 3-pointer that brought the score to 53-34 Butler lead.
Butler’s defense locked down, holding the Black Bears scoreless for 3 minutes, during which time Butler scored 10 straight points.
The Black Bears couldn’t get any closer, with second-year guard Trey Pettus ending the game with a 3-pointer.
The game in Indiana was a good learning experience for a young UMaine team that is looking to find a way to be a competitive Division I basketball team.
The Black Bears will travel to the New Jersey Institute of Technology for their second game of the year Monday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.