On Sept. 12, 1984, the Chicago Bulls signed their first round draft pick, and No. 3 overall Michael Jeffery Jordan from the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Jordan was selected behind only two players in the 1984 NBA Draft, 7-foot-3 Sam Bowie from the University of Kentucky Wildcats and 7-foot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Hakeem Olajuwon from Houston University. The Portland Trailblazers had passed on the future six-time NBA Finals champion in favor of Bowie as they had drafted an all-star shooting guard of their own, Clyde Drexler, just a few years prior. Drexler and Olajuwon had been teammates on the Houston Cougars, forming the electric combination coined Phi Slama Jama. 

The Chicago Bulls had been in disarray when Jordan found his way to Chicago, having offloaded their two biggest stars — former MVP Artis Gilmore and crafty guard Reggie Theus — in the years leading up to the 1984 draft. The Bulls themselves nearly had Earvin “Magic” Johnson join their team as well in 1979 by way of a coin flip, but lost out to the Los Angeles Lakers who picked first that year. All factors included, Jordan absolutely had his work cut out for him in this new era set to start in the Chicago Stadium.

Jordan signed his first pro deal, and a little over a month later made his professional debut on Oct. 26. While the 21-year-old Jordan only managed to drop 16 points, that proved to only be the beginning. Jordan was able to finish the year scoring 28.2 points per game and pushed a high lottery team into serious playoff contention in the span of a year. Word spread quickly of the exceptional basketball played at the Madhouse on Madison, and fans from across the league voted the rookie into the all-star game as a starter. 

Even though he was the subject of a blackball-esque effort from the remainder of his all-star teammates in his first all-star game, in part due to the sudden favoritism he had been receiving, Jordan managed to push past the drama and win NBA rookie of the year in dominating fashion. His second season unfortunately was one of the most disappointing of his career, as he broke his foot only three games into the season, missing 64 cumulative contests over the course of the 1985-86 season. 

In his third year, Jordan announced he was back in astonishing fashion, averaging a league-leading and career best 37.1 points per game while battling Larry Bird in one of the most hotly contested playoff battles in NBA history. Jordan’s 63 points against the Celtics in the first round of the 1986 NBA playoffs is a single-game record that still stands to this day, even though the Bulls were swept in the series. 

For the next three seasons, Jordan paced the NBA in scoring while winning his first ever MVP award in the 1987-88 season. Even with all this success, the Bulls still fell to the Detroit Pistons in the postseason each year between 1987 and 1990. Jordan won his first of three NBA titles in a row in the 1990-91 season though, winning in the next two seasons as well before leaving the NBA for the 1993-94 season. His father, James Jordan, was murdered months earlier, and Michael was quoted saying his death had lead to this decision.

After taking two years off from the league, Jordan returned in the 1995-96 season where he won another MVP award and succeeded in winning the second three-peat of his career. Jordan won another MVP award in the 97-98 season, as well as championships in the 96-97 and 97-98 seasons. Following his sixth championship, he retired from the NBA for the second time in his career, before returning again to play for the Washington Wizards in the 2001-02 and 02-03 seasons. 

Currently, Jordan serves as the president of basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornets, as he took over the Bobcats franchise for $175 million in 2010. His ESPN Films sponsored docu-series “The Last Dance” on Netflix debuted during the COVID-19 pandemic to rave reviews, documenting the career of one of the greatest players in NBA history. Whether you think LeBron or Jordan is the greatest, Sept. 12 will forever be an important day in the history of the Chicago Bulls, the NBA and basketball in general. 

In an exhibition match to prepare the squad for the upcoming season the University of Maine women’s soccer team welcomed the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds to the Mahaney Diamond this past Wednesday. Having been undefeated up until their previous match against Quinnipiac University, the team was certainly on a high and looked to provide opportunities for the majority of their roster to see game action. This included reigning America East offensive player of the week, fifth-year midfielder Birte Speck and former America East rookie of the week, first-year forward Jordan Pinette. 

Speck’s award came from a decisive game-tying goal in UMaine’s contest against Merrimack as well as collecting a slick assist on teammate Susannah Gaines’ first goal of the season. Pinette’s award came on the heels of her performances against Saint Peter’s University, Merrimack and Bryant University, where she was able to record two assists from exceptional corner kicks as well as managing to fire off two shots, with one of them on frame.

UNB themselves were in the midst of their preseason schedule, though this match marked the end of their four game warm-up period. The traveling group were looking to end their preseason on a high note. 

Early on in the match, the Reds managed to keep up the pressure and closed in on the University of Maine’s longtime goalkeeper, fifth-year Kira Kutzinski. However, great defensive work from the Black Bears center-halves blocked any attempts UNB had at scoring.

Fifth-year UMaine forward Saylor Clark had a great attempt at a goal before her looping left-footed shot was forced over the bar by an acrobatic diving save from the UNB goalkeeper, fifth-year Brynn Nash. Clark kept her foot on the pedal and found herself in the middle of another scoring opportunity when one of her cannons for a leg produced a shot that echoed over the bar only a few minutes later. 

As UMaine kept the tempo high, first-year midfielder Madison Michaud came inches from grabbing the lead when she found space in the box before her shot careened narrowly over the bar, keeping the score locked at zero. The Reds quickly countered, pouncing on some slow passing from the Black Bears to spring an odd-manned counter attack just moments later. Third-year striker Julia Currie drove a low shot toward the far side of the UMaine goal before the imminently advancing Kutzinski cut down her angle and redirected the shot out of play. 

It became quickly apparent why Pinette recently won the America East rookie of the week award once she entered the game. Her dribbling display down the wing with under 10 minutes to go in the first half saw her round the keeper before putting a shot on target that rang off the post and out. Pinette was again at the forefront of the UMaine attacking effort but her next chance was saved by Nash just a few minutes later. 

Pinette’s dribbling was on display yet again in the thirty-eighth minute when she navigated her way through the Reds’ defensive line and coolly slotted home the opening goal of the competition. The score remained the lone goal until the fifty-third minute of the contest when UMaine’s fourth-year midfielder Olivia Chalifoux unleashed a line drive strike into the side netting from deep outside the box to double the lead for the Black Bears. 

In a near picture-perfect recreation of the play prior, first-year forward Gillian Rogers chipped a sublime ball over the head of UNB’s keeper just to have her effort collide with the post and bounce back out into play. The Reds continued to push for their first goal, but the ever-prompt Kutzinski smothered a chance at the feet of an opposing attacker just outside her area with about 20 minutes to play. Kutzinski came to UMaine’s rescue yet again only a few moments later, fighting her rightward-bound momentum to make a strong left handed save and preserve the Black Bears’ two-goal advantage. Rogers came close in the final moments to scoring her first goal of the contest, but her chance from in close glanced off of her boot and just over the bar, effectively marking the end of the competition. 

UMaine won the contest with a score of 2-0. The win is vital for the team, as they look to make a deep run in the America East tournament this season. The Black Bears will welcome the New Jersey Institute of Technology to the Mahaney Diamond next Sunday at noon. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NBA to end its regular season two months early, commissioner Adam Silver came up with the idea to create a play-in tournament for teams to compete for a spot in the playoffs. The tournament took place in the Disney World bubble, which saw players from 22 teams take up residence at many of the park’s resorts for at least six weeks. 

The players competed in the tournament, which was formatted like a modified playoff competition. The league adopted the format the following year to incorporate into their season. Now in the 2022 season, a total of 24 teams will compete in the playoffs and play-in tournament, one of the largest postseason fields in NBA history. Earlier this April, the tournament was in full swing and helped earn the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets spots in the playoffs as the seventh and eighth seeds in their respective conferences.

In dramatic fashion, the Timberwolves managed to knock out the widely favored Los Angeles Clippers, who are led by Paul George, at home in Minnesota in front of their fans. The game was Minnesota’s first playoff game in four years. The post-game celebrations among fans and players exhibited pure euphoria, as the community was genuinely excited to be back on the upswing after many years of turmoil. 

In the east, the Atlanta Hawks entered the tournament hoping to find their way into the playoffs, having to win two consecutive games to earn one of the final two seeds. Unlike the Timberwolves, who had ended the year in the seventh seed position, the Hawks finished the year in ninth. After some heroics from their star point guard Trae Young, Atlanta was able to beat both the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers en route to earning the eighth seed. 

The viewership numbers were down from last year’s play-in since that season featured LeBron James and Anthony Davis’s Lakers trying to repeat as NBA Champions, against the greatest shooter in NBA history, Steph Curry, and his star-studded Warriors team. This year, even though the viewership numbers were lower, it was still a captivating tournament, where it was clear that the players in the competition and the fans in attendance enjoyed competing to earn a playoff spot.

Every single game of the play-in was a sellout for the hosting team, nearly mirroring the numbers a playoff game brings in both atmosphere and intensity. The addition of more playoff-style games is something all sports fans want, and other leagues should look to the NBA as an example of how to improve on an already successful idea. Not only is the play-in tournament something fans can enjoy, but will also bring in added revenue from the extra sell-out games and the opportunity for teams to get a second chance to get into the playoffs.

Major League Baseball was another one of the major leagues to expand their postseason in 2022. They added two more teams to their initial ten-team playoff field and eliminated the Wild Card games in exchange for three-game series to decide the remaining spot. Just two years ago, the NFL also expanded its playoff field to 14, with meaningful games happening across the league and culminating in one of the most historic (and profitable) seasons in NFL history in 2021. 

The MLB, NFL and NBA’s expansions have shown what expanded playoffs can do for leagues across the country. The NHL hasn’t changed their playoff format, leaving bevies of talented squads to miss out on the postseason. This year, both the Vancouver Canucks and the Las Vegas Golden Knights run the risk of missing the playoffs, with the Knights nearly putting up 90 points so far on the season The NHL could certainly see benefits from letting these squads compete for the playoffs. 

The Revolution came into the MLS regular season with lofty expectations for their coming year, hoping to make up for their bitter end to last season against NYCFC. They were the defending Supporter’s Shield champions last season and only lost one starter from last year, Tajon Buchanan. All of this meant that their team should’ve continued their dominant record from last year, where they set the record for the best head-to-head record.

The team opened the season at Providence Park in Portland, playing to a thrilling 2-2 draw, and carried that momentum into a 1-0 victory over FC Dallas in the home opener. They followed that up by beating Mexican Side Pumas 3-0 in the CONCACAF Champions League under snowy conditions at home. They carried their high-flying attitude into their next match at home, this time taking place in a blizzard, against Real Salt Lake. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the 78-minute mark saw them collapse, surrendering 3 unanswered goals to lose 3-2. Starting a skid that creates speculation that last year may have been a fluke.

The weather, which hadn’t been a problem in their first game against the Pumas, was described by teammates this time as a hindrance to their ability to play.

“Do you think we play soccer here today?” Carles Gil asked during a postgame interview. “I cannot hear my teammates, I cannot talk to my teammates, I cannot run. It’s impossible. This is not football! Stop the f—ing game!”

Unfortunately, they couldn’t blame the weather when they traveled to Mexico for the second leg of their series against Pumas in the Champions League. Up 3-0 on aggregate, all the Revolution had to do was ensure that Pumas didn’t score more than two goals, or score a goal themselves, or else they ran the risk of losing in extra time or a penalty shootout. In one of the most jaw-dropping results of the tournament so far, Pumas managed to put three goals past goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr., who had been filling in for the injured Matt Turner and sent the game to penalties. A miss from Sebastian Lletget was enough for Pumas to take the advantage, and then win the match and the series, advancing them to the next round.

The Revolution’s losing streak continued, as they lost 3-1 to expansion side Charlotte FC in North Carolina. They lost to the New York Red Bulls 1-0 courtesy of an 89th-minute own goal via a Matt Polster-blocked clearance from Andrew Farrell. The team couldn’t catch a break, as they lost 3-2 to Inter Miami with another last-minute opposing goal. These losses have put the Revolution at rock bottom, both mentally and in the standings. With only four points to their name after this stretch, they were tied for the bottom spot in the East and were only above the San Jose Earthquakes in the Supporter’s Shield standings by two points.

Obviously this string of losses is unprecedented, with each loss somehow more painful than the last, but the team is more than aware of what needs to be done. In an interview with Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand on 98.5 “The Sports Hub,” head coach Bruce Arena made clear to fans that he was taking responsibility for the awful streak the team had been on as of late, and additionally stated that he expects their match against Charlotte to look much different than their meeting last month.

He was right, as the Revolution finally broke their losing streak by beating Charlotte 2-1 this past Saturday.

Adam Buksa’s return to the team after serving his one-game suspension for a red card against the Red Bulls was a big difference as he scored, and Gustavo Bou is slated to return by the end of the month from a leg injury that’s kept him sidelined for the better part of the season. With these two returning, things certainly could turn around if the team is able to work like they did in the first three matches of the year.

Matt Turner could also come back from the foot injury he received in a pre-season match later this month. However, the Revolution won’t have him around as goalkeeper for long, and they’ll need to figure out his replacement when Turner leaves this summer for Arsenal. Hopefully newly-signed Serbian U-22 national team goalie Djordje Petrovic will play better than Edwards. Until then, the Revolution has to get their act together as they head into a crucial stretch of early summer matches that could determine their season.

As is the case whenever an athlete passes away, the entirety of the sports world seems to take a moment to collectively mourn the loss, regardless of team affiliation. Most times, the stories shared on social media are about the life of the player, or in remembrance of an iconic play from the career of the now-departed. However, the recent death of 24-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins in South Florida this past week wasn’t met with the same reverence that other players have received. 

After Haskins’s sudden death, Adam Schefter, one of the most renowned sportswriters in the country, failed to offer proper condolences. Schefter released his controversial tweet the morning after Haskins’ death was announced.

“Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State before struggling to catch on with Washington and Pittsburgh in the NFL, died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida, per his agent Cedric Saunders. Haskins would have turned 25 years old on May 3,” Schefter tweeted.

As poorly-worded and callous as it is, Schefter left the tweet up for nearly half an hour before he deleted it, and re-released a statement with the comments on Haskins’ football career omitted. The ESPN-contracted reporter received immediate flak from both fans and NFL players alike. 

Fans were quick to point out that Schefter tweeted out a different statement when Colt Brennan, a white former NFL quarterback, passed away last year. The statement didn’t mention Brennan’s NFL struggles, which were well-documented, but rather pointed to his success at Hawaii where he played college football before anything else. So, what’s the difference between Brennan and Haskins that called for the difference in tweets?

On NFL radio the morning of the tragedy, Cowboys legend Gil Brandt tore Haskins to shreds, claiming that his decision to leave Ohio State early and declare for the NFL draft after a historic 2018 NCAA season was one of the major reasons for the quarterback’s passing, citing a lack of maturity and experience. 

“He was a guy that was livin’ to be dead,” Brandt said.

He continued to talk about Haskins in the early portion of the episode, before going on to complain about Haskins and his family hosting a draft party separate from the league’s at a bowling alley. 

Brandt released a statement on Twitter later in the day apologizing for his statements, while Twitter subsequently tore him apart.

The history of dehumanizing athletes in sports is long, but only recently have players had the support needed to speak out against their perpetrators. For example, look at the media coverage from 15 years ago when Sean Taylor was shot while defending his family from a home invasion. 

“I know how I feel about Taylor, and this latest news isn’t surprising in the least, not to me,” Michael Wilbon, an ESPN commentator said. “Whether this incident is or isn’t random, Taylor grew up in a violent world, embraced it, claimed it, loved to run in it and refused to divorce himself from it.” 

“[Taylor], great player, has a history of really really bad judgment,” Colin Cowherd, a Fox Sports personality said. “Cops, assault, spitting, DUI. I’m supposed to believe his judgment got significantly better in two years, from horrible to fantastic?” 

These shocking quotes show just how much our society has progressed in recent years. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done to continue addressing the racism and dehumanization of athletes, in particular those who have passed, and the buck doesn’t stop with Schefter and Brandt. The treatment of professional athletes is something that needs to change both for their own safety, and their sanity in the modern age. 

With baseball season well underway, the University of Maine men’s baseball team hosted the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders at the Mahaney Diamond in Orono this past weekend. The three-game series saw the groups play games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with UMaine victorious in two of three. The Black Bears were coming off of a phenomenal weekend in Baltimore last week as they played the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retrievers, sweeping their America East rivals with ease by scores of 17-1, 15-14 and 13-2. NJIT had nearly done the same, winning two of three in their previous series against UMass Lowell. 

Fifth-year Black Bear pitcher Trevor Labonte took the hill in the opening game of the matchup opposite third-year Highlander ace Ryan Fischer. Both pitchers managed to hold down the fort for the first couple of innings, but the third spelled disaster for Labonte and UMaine. An errant throw on a routine fielding play saw NJIT’s fifth-year infielder David Marcano reach home and open the scoring in the third inning. While the Black Bears fought to stop the Highlanders, a two-out triple off the bat of fifth-year right fielder Isiah Daubon extended NJIT’S lead to three going into the bottom half of the inning.

Another error in the infield gave the Highlanders their fourth run, as third-year catcher Luke Longo made his way home as a result of fifth-year utility man Julio Marcano’s single. Unwilling to fall any further into the hole, fourth-year catcher Ryan Turenne belted a sac-fly to right field that brought home his teammate, second-year middle infielder Quinn McDaniel, cutting the score to 4-1 after the fourth inning. The Black Bears managed to find some more success the following inning, with first-year infielder Jeremiah Jenkins and fifth-year infielder Joe Bramanti both driving in a run by way of a single and a sac fly, making it a one-run ballgame after five innings. 

Labonte was pulled from the game in the sixth inning, putting in first-year hurler Colin Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald managed the game with ease, lasting until the top of the ninth. He was replaced by second-year pitcher Colton Carson, who finished the game on the mound for UMaine. Neither side was able to amount much offense over the final three innings, with NJIT eventually winning the opening contest by a score of 4-3.

Saturday’s game had much better weather conditions, with light cloud cover and a slight breeze setting the stage for a perfect spring matchup at the Mahaney Diamond. First-year pitcher Caleb Leys earned the start for the second matchup of the weekend, throwing a solid game for the first three innings. Opposite Leys, fourth-year starting pitcher Grant Vurpillat had just about the worst start to a game you could ask for. A two-run single in the first inning, courtesy of fourth-year outfielder Scout Knotts, set up the Black Bears fairly well for the rest of the afternoon, as the team continued to build on their lead.

In the second inning, fourth-year outfielder Jeff Mejia hit a single driving home second-year infielder Jake Marquez to extend UMaine’s lead to three. Marquez then started the scoring in the next inning, with his sac fly bringing McDaniel home to score and push the lead to four. Third-year third baseman Connor Goodman delivered the gut-punch when his long drive bounced over the head of NJIT outfielder Isiah Daubon and up against the outfield wall, allowing both Knotts and Bramanti to make their way home and add to the lead, making it 6-0 after only the third inning. The mark on the box score was enough for NJIT head coach Robbie McLellan, who pulled Vurpillat with two outs in the third. 

Daubon looked to make up for his mistake in the previous inning, playing the count and earning a bases-loaded walk, bringing Julio Marcano home. NJIT wasn’t done there, as fifth-year first baseman, Nick Hussey drove home a run off of an RBI single. A two-RBI double from NJIT’s catcher, third-year Luke Longo, cut the lead down to only two runs heading into the sixth inning. UMaine’s head coach, Nick Derba, pulled Leys from the game after a five-strikeout performance, opting to bring in Carson for relief work for the second evening in a row. 

NJIT’s fourth-year outfielder Andrew Elcock capitalized on the situation, laying down a bunt to advance two runners the Highlanders had managed to put on base in the inning. Carson fielded the ball for UMaine but unfortunately hummed the ball over near the opposing side’s dugout, and Hussey managed to make it home on the play. Soon after, David Marcano connected with a two-run home run that went well over the wall in left field, taking a one-run lead over UMaine with a score of 7-6. The move was enough for Derba to replace Carson with fifth-year pitcher Matthew Pushard, who closed out the contest. 

UMaine did not allow the Highlanders to celebrate for too long though, as Bramanti crushed a two-run bomb of his own to bring McDaniel home and retake the lead at 8-7. Mejia had an RBI double in the seventh to push the lead to two runs until NJIT’s fourth-year infielder Jared Donnelly added a solo shot in the eighth inning. Marquez again found a way to put another digit up on the scoreboard for the Black Bears, driving home Bramanti on a single and paving the way for a solid victory.

Goodman found his own way to add a cherry on top of an already brilliant performance, nailing a 3-run double to give him five runs on the day. The score remained the same following Goodman’s exuberant swing and celebration, resulting in a 13-8 win for the Black Bears.

On Sunday the Black Bears clinched the series win with a 7-6 victory. They are now 12-14 on the season and their next game is against Thomas College at the Mahaney Diamond on Wednesday before traveling to the University at Albany for a weekend series on Friday. 

Former University of Maine Black Bear guard Chris Markwood is finally returning home after a successful journey across the northeast. Markwood began his career as an assistant coach at the University of Maine following his graduation in 2005. He held this position until accepting a job at the University of Vermont. Markwood then moved to Northeastern in 2014, joining legendary head coach Bill Coen’s staff, where he eventually became the assistant head coach for his final three years with the Huskies. In 2020, Markwood agreed to join Boston College, where he served as an assistant coach until his hiring in Orono this year. 

Every team Markwood joined saw immediate improvement, with his latest triumph culminating in nine more wins for the Boston College Eagles in the 2021-22 season compared to the previous year. To add to his already impressive resume, Markwood has amassed a collection of star recruits, with 25 all-conference selections, a player of the year, a rookie of the year and three defensive player of the year award winners tracing their mentorship back to the former Black Bear.

“Wow, this is overwhelming. It feels amazing to be back,” Markwood said at the beginning of his introductory press conference. “This is a full-circle moment, for me and my family. This place means the world to me. This state means the world to me, and to be able to represent the state of Maine here, in this basketball program, is truly a dream come true.” 

The emotion and intensity of the new head coach were well on display during his press appearance. He thanked each and every one of his former coaches and mentors before graciously thanking Northeastern head coach Bill Coen. 

“Bill Coen, that’s my guy. Bill Coen has been a father figure for me,” Markwood continued his praise.  “It was under his tutelage, for those seven years, where I feel like I really developed the most as a basketball coach, and under his guidance is where I knew I was ready for this opportunity.” 

Following the overwhelming amount of thankfulness coach Markwood put out into the world for those that guided him, he was able to give thanks to his two daughters, as well as his wife. 

“We’re gonna play the right way. Be disciplined, highly detailed, and we’re gonna be selfless,” Markwood said. He was eager to describe the style of play he expected of his new team, with plans to run a motion-based, fluid offensive package to combat opposing teams, as well as running a switch-heavy, hard-pressing, man-defense package, similar to that of the NBA’s Boston Celtics. Markwood’s willingness to take on the challenge of guiding UMaine’s basketball team through an incredibly transformative period for the team was noticeable during the press conference. 

Before Markwood joined UMaine as a player in 2003, he was a well-respected guard recruited to the University of Notre Dame. Though he did not start a single game with the Fighting Irish, the South Portland native returned to Maine to attend the University of Maine for his final two years of eligibility. He instantly was named a starter, having made the starting five in all but one of the team’s games in the 2003-04 season. In his final year with the Black Bears, his scoring numbers increased from 5.9 points per game to 7.7, and his three-point percentage jumped by over 13 percent to 37.1%. 

It will be interesting to see how Markwood handles developing and recruiting new talent this offseason.

Roughly 90 years ago, the first-ever men’s NCAA’s March Madness tournament took place on March 27, 1939, when the Oregon Webfoots (now the Ducks) took on the Ohio State Buckeyes to decide the inaugural champion of college basketball. Thanks in part to dominant play throughout the tournament by Oregon’s well-tenured side of veteran college athletes, upstart head coach “Young” Howard Hobson had little to no trouble maneuvering through the eight-team tournament field en route to their first, and the only national title in school history. While both schools are still well-respected today, their path to the first finals was much easier than that of the Saint Peter’s Peacocks and their improbable run this year. 

Oregon kicked off their tournament run with a 15-point victory over the Texas Longhorns in the opening round. They followed this up with an even more impressive victory, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 55-37. Forward John H. Dick served as the de facto first option throughout the competition, with his best performance of the tourney coming in the championship game against the Buckeyes, where he scored fifteen points to lead the Ducks to victory.

Ohio State’s path to finals was moderately similar to that of Oregon’s, as they dispatched Wake Forest 64-52 in the opening round. This win set them up with a date against the Villanova Wildcats for a shot at the National Championship game. Villanova didn’t stand a chance, and the Buckeyes inevitably steamrolled them 53-36 to reach the final. Head coach Harold Olsen had actually been the one to pitch the idea of a National Championship and subsequent tournament, so his presence in the final itself was certainly a welcome one. Captain and guard Jimmy Hull led his team alongside fellow guard Richard “Dick” Boughner, who picked up the slack on the defensive end of the court. Boughner’s steal against Minnesota in a play-in game ensured their top spot in the Big Ten conference.

The nation eagerly awaited the tip-off in Evanston, Illinois. Even though it was a highly anticipated game, the Patten Gymnasium where the game was held had a seating capacity of 9,000 but was barely half-filled. In contrast, the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, which will host the championship this year, has a capacity of 74,295 and will be filled to the brim. Despite the low attendance, one of the founding fathers of the sport, James Naismith was in attendance. 

The final game itself saw Oregon leaping out to an early 6-0 lead after tip-off, but Ohio State battled back to make it a 12-11 game with a little over three minutes to go in the first half. Oregon further extended their lead to seven before the halftime whistle, as Dick showcased his multitude of offensive talents. However, the Buckeyes managed to keep it a close competition, only down 21-16 at the end of the first frame. The second half was a different story though, with Oregon coming out swinging, pushing their lead to 40-29 after Dick and Hull traded baskets for a brief period.

A tactic commonly employed in the pre-shot clock era of American basketball was known as a “stall.” Simply put, when teams had an advantage, thanks to the lack of a shot clock, they switched their playstyle to protect the ball and hold onto it for as long as possible, as opposed to actively trying to score, in order to run out the clock. Oregon did just that, running down the clock and eventually capturing the title by a score of 46-33.

Following their thrilling victory over Boston College, the University of Maine women’s hockey team traveled to Matthews Arena in Boston on Wednesday, March 2 to take on the Northeastern Huskies in what was set to be a fantastic semi-final contest. UMaine has battled Northeastern for a spot in the Hockey East Championship two of the last four years, with Northeastern advancing both times. The Black Bears were looking to finally seal the deal and make it to the finals.

With two Black Bear Olympians, third-year defenseman Amalie Andersen of Denmark and second-year forward Rahel Enzler of Switzerland, on the roster currently, UMaine was certainly a team with the talent to compete against some of the best collegiate hockey players in the country. Northeastern’s talent was formidable, as they’re ranked third nationally, and from puck drop the skill level of the Huskies was more than apparent. 

Early on in the contest, UMaine was able to divert most of their opponent’s rushes to the boards and out of their zone, while second-year goaltender Jorden Mattison was beyond effective at keeping the score level at zero through the first 20 minutes. In the first period the Black Bears were outshot 13-2, so in order to keep their championship dreams alive the team needed to change their approach quickly. 

A penalty against Northeastern midway through the second period set up UMaine for various opportunities to take the lead, but the Huskies interfered time and time again. Fifth-year forward Maddie Mills found the back of the net to put the Huskies up 1-0 twelve minutes into the second, finally cracking through the shield that the Black Bears worked to build within their own blue line.

While UMaine feverishly worked to preserve the one-goal deficit, a penalty gave Northeastern on their first power play of the night. With about four minutes to play in the period, fourth-year star forward Maureen Murphy was able to beat Mattison and extend Northeastern’s lead to two before the end of the frame. 

The Black Bears themselves had four power plays on the night. During one of them, third-year forward Ida Kuoppala managed to find the twine a little over six minutes into the third period, cutting the Huskies lead to one and giving UMaine some much needed hope.

Their hope faded only three-and-a-half minutes later when Murphy potted her second goal of the night, putting Northeastern’s lead back up to two with just under ten minutes to go in the third period. UMaine did their best to mount a comeback, even going as far as to pull Mattison with just under two to go, but their efforts were to no avail and the game ended 3-1 with Northeastern as the victors.

Northeastern advances to the Hockey East Championship for their sixth straight year. They will take on UConn, who managed to beat Vermont, who was ranked second in their conference.

When all was said and done, UMaine was outshot by Northeastern 41-13, with Mattison ending her night with a phenomenal 38 saves. While UMaine’s defeat is heartbreaking, a majority of the current group of players currently with the team are slated to return to the team next season, so there’s hope that UMaine will once again make a run in the Hockey East tournament next year. 

The final regular season contest for the University of Maine men’s basketball team saw them tip off against the University of Vermont Catamounts in Bangor at the Cross Insurance Center. Vermont came into the matchup seeded first in America East. UMaine on the other hand sat last in the conference, with a record of 6-22 before the start of the game and already eliminated from playoff contention. 

While both teams struggled to score early on, Vermont got the scoring underway as fourth-year forward Isaiah Powell got to the bucket with ease. Vermont extended their lead to 8-0 before second-year UMaine forward Peter Filipovity got the first basket, making it 8-2. Fifth-year center Chris Efretuei and second-year guard Adefolarin “Fofo” Adetogun’s defense stepped up a notch to deny numerous Catamount trips into the paint, keeping the score within fifteen points for a majority of the first half. The half itself ended with Vermont up 38-24. 

Both teams performed similarly in the second half, with Vermont extending their lead to over 20 points at various intervals across the final frame. Vermont’s fourth-year forward Ryan Davis had free reign whenever the ball was in his hands, finishing around the rim with ease and failing to miss a single one of his free throws all night to finish with a team-high of 16 points.

A bevy of technical fouls called against the Black Bears angered the players and crowd alike, further burying head coach Jai Steadman’s group under a mountain of free throws. Fourth-year forward Stephane Ingo played one of the most defensively dominant games of his career, swatting shots to the tune of six total blocks and playing as a de-facto center whenever fifth-year big man Chris Efretuei was on the bench. 

At the end of the night, Vermont was able to cap off their dominant display with the time expiring on a 75-56 victory for head coach John Becker’s Catamounts. The win put Vermont at a 25-5 record overall and a 17-1 record within the conference, with their only loss in the conference coming to Hartford by one point earlier in the season. 

Overall, the Black Bears showed great improvement in a season full of turmoil. Turmoil such as former head coach Richard Barron and UMaine mutually agreed to part ways and Ingo suffering an injury at the beginning of the year that saw him miss time. Nothing seemed to be working in favor of UMaine. Yet, there were still bright spots along the way, like Steadman’s first win as a head coach against New Jersey Institute of Technology on Feb. 20. Also, before the game vs Vermont, four seniors Efretuei, Ingo, fourth-year guard Ja-Shonte Wright-McLeish and Lechaun Duhart were honored before the game versus Vermont.

After leading the team in scoring for a majority of the season, second-year guard Vukasin Masic relinquished his spot at the top to third-year guard Maks Klanjscek. Klanjscek’s 9.7 points per game was the highest for the Black Bears in the category, setting up the Slovenian for what should be an even better fourth year. Masic led the team in assists, putting up a mark of 3.1 per game, while putting together a very well-rounded statline in several other categories. First-year forward Kristians Feierberg’s 36% average from beyond the arc led the team, just barely beating out fourth-year guard Ja-Shonte Wright-McLeish and Masic who both had marks of 35%. 

Ingo’s season was a pure statistical anomaly with his 2.5 blocks per game standing out more than anything else. Ingo made sure to accompany that number with 7.3 points per game, a team-leading 5.9 rebounds a night and almost a steal a game as well. His leadership as a captain and his on-the-court performance will be sorely missed next year. Thankfully with the emergence of players such as Filipovity, first-year guard Sam Ihekwoaba and first-year guard Byron Ireland, the team looks to be in good hands for the near future.