Lonzo Ball is a 19-year-old superstar basketball player from Southern California, gearing up to potentially be the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. Ball averaged 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game at UCLA this past season as a first-year and declared for the NBA draft within minutes following his team’s Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky.

Thanks to his father’s media antics, however, three major basketball sneaker companies (Nike, Under Armour and Adidas) already have made it clear that they will not be offering Lonzo any type of endorsement deal.

Those who follow basketball closely know that Lonzo’s talent can’t be denied and that his biggest fan and promoter is his father, LaVar Ball. LaVar has great intentions and only wants the best for Lonzo and his two younger sons, LiAngelo and LaMelo, who will also be attending UCLA to play basketball in the near future.

However, LaVar has taken his familial promotion too far and may have ultimately ended up costing his children a lot of money (millions) in the long run, if it hasn’t already.

LaVar has been talking a big game about his three sons, even throwing around talks of a 10-year sneaker contract worth up to $1 billion for his three children together.

But LaVar is getting way too far ahead of himself by saying that he wants his children to have their own brand, called the “Big Baller Brand,” as well as a business partner to help with distribution, rather than an endorsement deal. This would be similar to Michael Jordan’s “Jordan” Brand, which falls under Nike, but has its own separate logo. The major shoe companies find this comical and as unfair as it is, they’d rather simply not offer Lonzo Ball a deal at all than deal with his father.

“We’ve said from the beginning, we aren’t looking for an endorsement deal,” LaVar said, according to ESPN. “We’re looking for co-branding, a true partner. But they’re not ready for that because they’re not used to that model. But hey, the taxi industry wasn’t ready for Uber, either.”

Initially, Phil Knight, Nike’s CEO, had expressed interest in Nike possibly signing Lonzo to a sneaker contract, but was thrown off by commentary from Lonzo’s father.

LaVar needs to scale it back, because his most talented son is the one entering the NBA next year, while the jury is still out on his other two children and how good they are going to be in college.

Instead of letting the sneaker companies come to his son Lonzo, he is going at them with obscene requests and hopes that include his youngest sons, who have yet to even touch the college basketball court.

Nike executive George Raveling came out and put LaVar on full blast. “LaVar Ball is the worst thing to happen to basketball in the last hundred years,” Raveling said.

This proves that Nike and the other major sneaker companies are really turned off by LaVar. The tragic thing is that it ended up costing his son, who has kept quiet and played a great game of basketball at the highest level possible, parts of his future.

It’s unfortunate that the elder Ball has to act out like this and take the spotlight away from how good of a player his son is. Sponsors know that Lonzo is a great player, but his father’s actions and sneaker requests are far too much of a reach.

The good side of signing Lonzo doesn’t outweigh the bad when it comes to having his father so intimately involved in the process. This is a really unfortunate situation for such a young superstar, who has to deal with the nuisance of his father holding him back already before he has even had the chance to play in the NBA.

The University of Maine field hockey head coach Josette Babineau is pleased to announce the hiring of Michelle Simpson as UMaine’s new associate head field hockey coach.

Simpson comes to Maine after serving eight seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, UAlbany.

“I am so excited to welcome Michelle to our program,” Babineau said. “Michelle’s experience both as a coach and player will impact our team tremendously. I feel very fortunate that Michelle decided to take on this position. I look forward for the opportunity to work with Michelle and to continue to grow and develop our program both in conference and nationally.”

Simpson grew up in Middlesbrough, England and played one season at the University of Teesside, earning Sportswomen of the Year honors in 2004. Following her year stint at Teesside, Simpson committed to play at UAlbany for the Great Danes where she displayed one of the best careers in program history.

“I would like to thank Josette for giving me this opportunity to further my career,” Simpson said. “I look forward to learning from her and working alongside her in continuing to build on the success that has already been achieved. I am thoroughly excited to become a part of this UMaine field hockey program that is filled with great players, great tradition and a strong sense a Black Bear pride.”

During her collegiate playing career, Simpson was named to the America East conference first-team her sophomore, junior and senior year. In Simpson’s sophomore season, she took home the America East conference Offensive Player of The Year accolade. During her senior campaign, Simpson guided the Great Danes to a conference championship and the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 2008. She also became the first play in Great Danes’ history to earn Division I All-American honors, which Simpson did twice in her junior and senior season. She received UAlbany’s female athlete of the year in her senior year. Following her decorated playing career at UAlbany, Simpson continued playing field hockey for a couple of years back in England before returning to UAlbany where she took the job as assistant coach.

Simpson specialized in coaching the offense and worked closely with the goalkeepers. Under Simpson, two goalkeepers combined for four America East Goalkeeper of the Year awards in seven seasons. The Great Danes were America East champions in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015 during Simpson’s tutelage in seven seasons. Though she may not have been the head coach for the Great Danes, her phenomenal work certainly did not go unnoticed as she was named to the America East Coaching Staff of the Year in 2014 and 2016. Last year (2016) Simpson was inducted into the University of Albany Hall of Fame for her amazing career accomplishments with the Great Danes field hockey program.

The University of Maine field hockey team has hired former University of Albany standout and assistant coach Michelle Simpson to become the new associate head coach for the Black Bears. Simpson comes to Maine after serving seven seasons as assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Albany.

Simpson grew up in Middlesbrough, England where she played high school field hockey at the University of Teesside. In 2004, Simpson’s senior year at Teesside, she won Sportswoman of the Year. Following her stellar high school career, Simpson committed to play at UAlbany for the Great Danes, where she put on one of the best careers in program history.

During her college playing career, Simpson was named to the America East Conference first team her second, third and fourth years. In Simpson’s sophomore season she took home America East Conference Offensive Player of the Year. In her senior year, Simpson guided the Great Danes to a conference championship and the program’s first career NCAA Tournament berth in 2008. She also became the Great Danes’ first player to earn Division I All-American honors, which Simpson did twice in her junior and senior seasons. She also received UAlbany’s Female Athlete of the Year in her senior year. Following her decorated playing career at UAlbany, Simpson continued playing field hockey for a couple of years back in England before returning to UAlbany where she took the job as assistant coach.

Simpson specialized in coaching the offense and worked closely with the goalkeepers. Under Simpson, two goalkeepers combined for four America East Goalkeeper of the Year awards in seven seasons. The Great Danes were America East champions in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015 during Simpson’s tutelage. Though she may not have been the head coach for the Great Danes, her phenomenal work certainly did not go unnoticed, as she was named to the America East Coaching Staff of the Year in 2014 and 2016. Last year (2016) Simpson was inducted into the University of Albany Hall of Fame for her amazing career accomplishments with the Great Danes field hockey program.

It is safe to say that the Maine women’s field hockey team is in good hands in the near future with Simpson at the helm. She is all too familiar with success in the America East competition, as she is extremely accomplished as both a player and coach in a winning culture. It seems likely that she is the right person who can help bring a conference championship to Maine and help overcome their kryptonite of the past few years, the University of Albany.

Women’s softball opens weekend with victory at Hartford

By: Griffen Stockford

The University of Maine softball team traveled to Hartford, Conn. on Saturday, defeating the University of Hartford Hawks 7-6 in the first game of their doubleheader.

Second-year third baseman Alyssa Derrick, second-year shortstop Laurine German and third-year center fielder Rachel Carlson led the Black Bears with two hits apiece in the victory. The Hawks were led by third-year designated hitter Bianca Ross, who had two home runs and a double.

With the score 1-1 going into the fourth inning, the bats on both sides started to heat up. Hartford took the lead with two runs in the top half of the inning on a two-run home run to deep center field by Ross. But Maine responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on errors by the Hawks to tie it 3-3.

The Black Bears added two more runs in the fifth inning. Carlson reached base with a bunt, stole second and then scored on a single by fourth-year catcher Rachel Harvey to center field. Harvey then worked her way to third and scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3, Maine.

But Hartford had an answer and that answer was another two-run Ross home run, this time over the left field wall. The home run was Ross’s third of the season and second of the game to tie it back up at 5-5.

Then, in the top of the sixth inning, German started off the inning with a single and found her way to third on a single by third-year pinch hitter Faythe Goins. German then scored on a wild pitch. First-year Emily Gilmore, pinch running for Goins, moved to third on a wild pitch and then came home on Carlson’s two-out single to center field for a 7-5 lead.

Things were tense in the seventh inning, as the Black Bears faced the heart of the Hawks’ lineup. After fourth-year Danielle DeMarco doubled, Ross stepped in and blasted a double of her own to drive DeMarco home and cut the deficit to 7-6. But Hartford was unable to score another run and the Black Bears escaped with the win.

Maine fourth-year starting pitcher Erin Bogdanovich lasted five innings, tallying four strikeouts, one walk and two earned runs. Third-year Annie Kennedy got the win in two innings of relief.

Second-year Hartford starting pitcher Melissa Pereira allowed seven runs, only four of them earned. The Hawks’ two errors proved vital, as they both led to Black Bear runs. Pereira also tallied three strikeouts and gave up eight hits.

Maine wins second game of doubleheader at Hartford on Saturday

By: Will Nash

In the second game of UMaine’s doubleheader versus the University of Hartford, the Black Bears picked up the win in decisive fashion, by downing the Hawks by a score of 6-2.

The key to Maine’s victory was a four-run inning in the bottom of the first, a response to Hartford’s single run earlier. With the win, Maine improves to 7-17 on the season, 2-0 in the conference and extends their win streak to four. The loss just adds to the misery of Hartford as their record drops down to 3-28 overall and 0-4 in the conference.

Third-year pitcher Molly Flowers got the start for Maine. Flowers stood stout, allowing only two runs, one of them earned and surrendered only four hits. Her eight strikeouts were a season-high. In the first inning, Flowers gave up her only earned run off a home run from Hartford’s third-year center fielder, Elizabeth Newkirk.

Maine responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning. German smacked a solo home run, the first of her career which knotted the score at 1-1. Maine wasn’t done there as Derrick had yet to take the plate. With Harvey on first and third-year left fielder Erika Leonard on second, Derrick homered to right to bat in all three runners and give the Black Bears a 4-1 lead after the first.

In the top of the second, Hartford narrowed the score off a running effort from Ross. Flowers walked Ross, she then stole second and advanced to third off a pop fly to right field. Ross scored after an error at first base that created an opportunity for her run.

A defensive game would be played until the bottom of the third, when Maine picked up two more runs off some familiar names. A single from Harvey started Leonard’s run home. Leonard was aided by an error in right field to allow her to score. Derrick was next at bat and her single helped Harvey run home to push the lead to 6-2. The score at the end of the three innings was the final score as both teams entered into a defensive deadlock.

Flowers and the defense allowed zero hits in the final three innings. It was Flower’s second straight game pitching all seven innings. Maine currently sits comfortably at the top of America East, followed closely by Binghamton and UMass Lowell.

Maine and Hartford have one more game on Sunday to round out the series. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

Softball completes sweep of weekend series

By: Marcus Caliendo

Riding a four-game winning streak and looking to complete a three-game sweep of Hartford after earning victories in Saturday’s doubleheader, 7-6 and 6-2. The Black Bears came out strong in this one and took care of the Hawks handily, 8-4. Maine improved to 8-17 on the season, while Hartford dropped to 3-29.

The starting pitchers would be third-year Annie Kennedy for the Black Bears and Pereira for the Hawks. To begin the game, Kennedy took the mound and sent down the Hawks in order. In the bottom of the inning, Maine would provide its first trouble for Pereira.

Leonard, Carlson and Harvey started the frame with singles to load up the bases and Derrick hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in their first run for a 1-0 lead. Despite a walk to load them up again, they left three runners stranded to end the first.

In the second inning, Hartford got their first runner aboard when fourth-year infielder Danielle DeMarco singled and stole second, but the next three batters were unable to drive her in. For the bottom half, Maine had runners on first and second, when Harvey smacked a double to left to drive in two and increase their lead to 3-0. The score would remain the same after the second.

For the third frame, the Hawks went down quietly 1-2-3 as Kennedy was rolling. Maine was able to make some noise in the bottom half, despite starting the inning with two outs. The Black Bears would continue putting runs on the board when second-year infielder Meghan Royle launched a home run to left to make it 4-0.

The bases were then loaded after two singles and a walk and Carlson hit a single to right field to drive in two more to bring it to 6-0. Right after, Harvey had an RBI single of her own to make it 7-0. Hartford’s pitcher Pereira was then pulled from the game and second-year Isabella Gerone entered in relief.

For the fourth inning, Hartford had one runner to reach base on a single, but failed to do anything and remained down by seven runs. The Black Bears led off with a walk before a fielder’s choice and single loaded up the bases, but Leonard was unable to drive anyone in as she popped out to end the inning.

The Hawks would finally strike in the fifth inning, as they led off with a single, another runner reached base on an error committed by German and Newkirk singled to left center to bring in their first run. Two batters later, fourth-year infielder Lexi Wilkerson hit another single to left center that brought in two and cut the score to 7-3. Kennedy was taken out and replaced by Flowers, who got the last out of the inning.

In the bottom half, Carlson led off with a bunt single and stole second. With two outs, third-year infielder Kristen Niland singled to left to drive in Carlson, making it 8-3. Niland advanced to second on an error committed by fourth-year left fielder Marisa Ferguson, but she would not advance as a foul out ended the inning.

During the sixth frame, the Hawks went down quietly 1-2-3, as the first two batters struck out and the third popped out. In the bottom half, fourth-year infielder Chloe Douglass attempted to reach on a bunt, but was thrown out. German followed with a single, but was unable to score as the next two batters got out.

The seventh inning would be Hartford’s last chance to get back into this one and they started it with a leadoff walk to third-year catcher Brittany Wallace. Second-year outfielder Kristen DeCiantis pinch hit and came through with a single and both runners advanced another base on the throw. Newkirk then hit a sacrifice fly to left that brought it Wallace, cutting the score to 8-4. The next two batters got out and Maine claimed the four-run victory, increasing their winning streak to five games.

For Maine, Kennedy went four and two-thirds innings, surrendering three unearned runs on six hits, while walking none and striking out three as she got the win and improved her record to 3-3. Flowers came on in relief, going two and a third, giving up one earned run on one hit, while walking one and striking out four. Three Black Bears had three hits in this game, including Carlson, Harvey and third-year infielder Sarah Coyne.

For Hartford, Pereira went two and two-thirds, surrendering seven earned runs on 10 hits, while walking three and striking out one as she took the loss and dropped to 1-9 on the year. Gerone came on in relief, going three and a third, giving up one earned run, while walking one and striking out two.

Maine returns to action on Wednesday, April 12 on the road in a doubleheader at 1 and 3 p.m. against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. The University of Hartford plays next on Thursday, April 13 at home in a doubleheader at 2 and 4 p.m. against Stony Brook University.

Griffin Stockford & Marcus Caliendo

The University of Maine men’s hockey team fell 5-4 to the Northeastern University Huskies on Friday, Feb. 24. Third-year forward Nolan Stevens scored just 12 seconds into overtime, finishing off the Northeastern comeback that erased a 2-0 Maine lead earlier in the game. Second-year forward Adam Gaudette and fourth-year forward Zach Aston-Reese, who each had two goals in the victory, led the Huskies.

The Black Bears came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, scoring two goals in the first five minutes of the game.

The first goal came when fourth-year forward Blaine Byron created a turnover in the neutral zone and got the puck ahead to third-year defenseman Mark Hamilton, who was able to slide the puck through a cluster of defenders and into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, at 4:28 into the first period, it was second-year forward Brendan Robbins receiving a pass from fourth-year defenseman Eric Schurhamer, rattling a hard shot off the post and slotting his own rebound past second-year Northeastern goalie Ryan Ruck.

With the score 2-1 after Aston-Reese got one back for the Huskies, Northeastern scored two power play goals within a minute of each other during the last five minutes of the second period. The first came when Gaudette crashed the net and got his stick on a loose puck in the crease to beat Maine second-year goalie Rob McGovern, who seemed to have trouble locating the puck on the play.

Just 52 seconds later, the Huskies took their first lead of the night on Aston-Reese’s second goal of the game. After a hooking penalty sent Maine second-year defenseman Keith Muehlbauer to the penalty box, fourth-year forward John Stevens found Aston-Reese alone in the slot. Aston-Reese gathered the puck and beat McGovern’s glove side to make it 3-2 Huskies. The goal was Aston-Reese’s 29th of the season.

“We kind of got away from our game and took some penalties,” Byron said of the second period. “We’ve got to be able to build on that lead and not let teams slip back into the game.”

“The two penalties we took weren’t undisciplined,” Maine Head Coach Red Gendron said. “You’re going to have a couple penalties during the course of the game, just playing hard. Both of those calls weren’t because guys were lazy. They’re just part of the game.”

Maine refused to go away easy as they opened the first period with a goal at the 47- second mark. Byron caught the puck after Robbins’ shot deflected off of a Northeastern defender’s stick and tapped it in to tie the game 3-3.

“We played a pretty good third period and got ourselves back in the game. And we weren’t real pleased with ourselves, certainly [not] after the second,” Gendron said. “We thought we could attack them with a little more tenacity.”

However, with the Maine crowd still on its feet, Northeastern again took the lead 31 seconds later as Gaudette knocked one in off the left post for his second goal of the game.

Maine’s incessant hustle was rewarded with 9:07 left to play, when third-year forward Nolan Vesey beat his defender one-on-one down the left wing and beat Ruck’s glove side to make it 4-4. The goal was Vesey’s tenth of the season and a crucial one for the Black Bears.

“It was a loose puck and I was able to get a step on the D,” Vesey said. “I was able to settle it for a second and then make a move and I was fortunate enough that it went in.”

The game would remain tied throughout the remainder of regulation. But it took only twelve seconds for John Stevens to win the overtime face-off for Northeastern and swing it to third-year defenseman Garret Cockerill. Cockerill got it ahead to Aston-Reese who found Stevens for the backhand winner.

It was the fourth straight game that the Black Bears have had at least a 2-0 lead and haven’t been able to secure the victory.

“It was up and down. We got off to an early 2-0 lead and let them back in it,” Vesey said. “In the third [period] a spark lit under us. But we’ve got to figure out how to play a 60-minute game. It’s been the story all year.”

While the victory clinched home-ice advantage for the Huskies for the first round of the playoffs, Northeastern Head Coach Jim Madigan stressed the importance of playing well in the season finale against the Black Bears on Saturday night.

“We have to have the mindset here tomorrow night that two points are at stake here. We’ve got to keep playing well. There’s more there for us than just home ice right now,” Madigan said. “You want to have your last game of the season be meaningful and to play well because it leads into your next one, which is the playoffs.”

Men’s hockey takes down Huskies on “Senior Night” behind Vesey’s hat trick

Coming off a tough 5-4 loss in overtime the night before, Maine hoped to claim a win on Senior Night to cap off the regular season. The four players recognized for their last game were defenseman Eric Schurhamer, goaltender Matt Morris, alternate captain and forward Blaine Byron and Captain and forward Cam Brown. The Black Bears played their hearts out and defeated the Huskies 5-4. Maine improved to 11-19-4 (5-15-2 HE) on the season, while Northeastern dropped to 16-13-5 (9-10-3 HE).

Just 18 seconds into the game, the Huskies got on the scoreboard when fourth-year forward Tanner Pond scored, assisted by fourth-year forward Brendan Collier and first-year forward Matt Filipe. This was Pond’s first goal on the season.

“Getting an early one gave us the start we needed, but in the end you still have to find more ways to find the net. They got one more than us tonight, just as we did last night,” Pond said.

Northeastern would hold its lead until 11:59 during the first period, when Vesey scored off a faceoff from first-year forward Chase Pearson to tie the game at 1-1. This was Vesey’s 11th goal on the season.

No other scoring occurred in the opening 20 minutes and the Huskies were displaying a little more on offense as they had 21 shot attempts with 13 on goal, while Maine had 18 attempts with seven on goal.

Morris started in net for the Black Bears, who had 12 saves, while Ruck started for the Huskies, who had six.

On a power play 6:18 into the second period, Northeastern took the lead back to go up 2-1 when first-year defenseman Jeremy Davies scored, assisted by Filipe and Stevens. This was Davies’ seventh goal on the season.

Three minutes later at 9:21, Maine capitalized on a power play opportunity of its own when Pearson scored to tie the game once again at 2-2, assisted by fourth-year forward Cam Brown and Byron. This was Pearson’s 14th goal on the season.

About another three minutes into the middle period, the Huskies took a one-goal lead for the third time as third-year forward Dylan Sikura scored to make it 3-2, assisted by Stevens. This was Sikura’s 20th goal on the season.

At 19:32 of the second, Maine took advantage of another power play chance when Vesey scored his second of the game, assisted by Byron to make it 3-3. This was Vesey’s 12th goal on the season.

“After we tied it for the third time I knew we would come out in the third with fire. These boys wanted it for the seniors, and we showed that we can come back in the game several times,” Maine Head Coach Red Gendron said.

Despite dominating in the offensive end, Northeastern still saw themselves in a tie game and had 26 shot attempts with 17 on goal in the period, while Maine had 18 attempts with nine on goal. Morris made 15 saves and Ruck made seven.

Just 1:10 into the third period, Pearson was assessed a major penalty for boarding, which gave the Huskies a chance to score during their five-minute power play. At 2:30, Maine was called for too many men on the ice, which gave Northeastern a two-man advantage for two minutes.

Shortly after the minor penalty was killed off, Stevens got the lead back for Northeastern at 4:34 to make it 4-3. This was Stevens’ eighth goal on the season.

“Getting that 5-on-3 advantage helped us get the lead when we needed it, but that penalty shot is what took the energy out of us,” Stevens said.

While still killing off the major penalty, Byron was hooked by Sikura and was awarded a penalty shot. At 5:51, Byron shot it past Ruck to tie the game at 4-4. This was Byron’s 18th goal on the season.

“I knew that this was a huge chance of the game. Being a senior and scoring on that was probably the biggest goal of my life,” Byron said.

Exactly one minute later, Maine was on the power play when Vesey scored for his third time of the game and put the Black Bears on top for the first time in the contest at 5-4. This was Vesey’s 13th goal on the season.

“It’s not that common to get a hat trick, but man was I pumped. I wanted to win this for the boys as much as they wanted it, and I’m glad I could find ways to score tonight,” Vesey said.

The Black Bears were able to hold onto to the slim lead and earned a hard-fought win for the seniors on Senior Night. In the third period, Maine had 13 shot attempts with eight on goal, while Northeastern had 30 attempts and 14 on goal. Morris made 13 saves in the period and Ruck made six.

“It was similar like yesterday, but they made the most of their opportunities in the third period. We took some penalties that hurt us, and we can’t have that if we expect to play a consistent game,” Northeastern Head Coach Jim Madigan said.

Maine returns to action in the opening round of the Hockey East playoffs on Friday, March 3. Northeastern University also plays next in the Hockey East playoffs on Friday, March 3. Both teams wait to find out their next opponents, respectively.

Men’s basketball falls to Albany, Feb. 20.

Second half struggles continue as UNH defeats Maine

The Black Bears traveled down to Durham, NH to take on the Wildcats for the second time this season. The first meeting between the two went the Wildcats’ way at the Cross Insurance Center and again UNH was able to grab a victory and sweep the series between the two in a 64-51 victory, pushing their record to 16-11, 7-6 in conference. The Black Bears fell to 6-23, 2-12 on the season.

First-year Andrew Fleming led the way for Maine, scoring 16 points and pulling down six rebounds in 32 minutes of play. Vincent Eze and Danny Evans also contributed to the Black Bears scoring, with Eze providing 15 and Evans 14. Dennis Ashley and Austin Howard also contributed to scoring for Maine.

The first half of action featured both teams trading buckets, with Maine keeping it close, led by Eze’s 8 points. Despite keeping it tight, the Black Bears only shot 29.2 percent from the field. With just under four minutes left, the Black Bears would cut the lead to two but not before UNH could rattle off a 14-0 run that was sparked by Jaleen Smith who finished with 12 points in the half. UNH would go into halftime up 35-19.

The struggle to score continued for Maine in the second half. They only scored two points before the 14 minute mark, which allowed UNH to muster a 48-21 lead. The Wildcats would not look back. UNH held a 20-point lead for the majority of the half. Maine would continue to fight, as they have all season long, pulling off a 10-0 run. Seven of the 10 points on the run would come from Fleming, who buried a three after netting two free throws. UNH would miss a layup on the other end and Evans would gather the rebound and drain a 3-pointer on the other end to finish the game strong.  

UMaine will be back in action Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. for the final home game of the season against the University of Albany Terriers. Maine dropped the first game at UAlbany on Jan. 22, 81-61. It will be Senior Day for the Black Bears, as they honor four seniors at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.  

Black Bears suffer blowout loss against Albany

The University of Maine men’s basketball team suffered a blowout loss 74-56 on senior night to the Albany Great Danes. The Great Danes jumped out to a 19-2 lead and never looked back. Maine had four athletes who play quality minutes suspended from their lineup and it cost them, as the Great Danes controlled the Black Bears in every aspect of the game all the way through to the finish line.

Maine didn’t score a basket until Howard swished a jump shot to finally get the Black Bears on the scoreboard about six minutes into the game. It was a brutal first half for Maine on both sides of the floor, as they were out of the contest by the halftime intermission. Maine was held to a dismal 3-for-19 (16 percent) shooting performance and only shot 6-of-12 at the charity stripe to make matters worse. Albany took a 39-14 lead into halftime with them.

Maine did show a lot of improvement in the second half by outscoring Albany 42-35 in the final stanza. However, it was a case of too little too late for Maine, as Albany was just coasting to the finish line and had the Black Bears right where they wanted them after the dominate first half.

“We came out really strong and then just controlled the pace of play from there on out,” Albany Head Coach Will Brown said. “I know they were low on numbers today and we took advantage of that.”

Second-year guard David Nichols led the Albany offense with a game-high of 20 points and four assists. Fourth-year forward Dallas Ennema chipped in 12 points and two rebounds off the bench in just 20 minutes of action. Second-year guard Joe Cremo and second-year forward Devonte Campbell netted 10 points each for the Great Danes respectively.

Howard scored a team-high of 12 points for Maine to go along with three rebounds and two assists in their losing effort. Eze did all he could for Maine, recording a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Following the loss, Maine falls to 6-24 overall and 2-13 in America East play. Meanwhile, Albany improves to 18-11 overall and 9-5 in conference. Albany travels to Vermont next for a tough test against the first place Catamounts. Maine will close out its regular season campaign next Saturday, Feb. 25 at Binghamton with tipoff set for 2 p.m.

The American League is going exactly as expected so far this season. The Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Angels are all in first place and the defending American League champion Kansas City Royals look like they are running away with the wild card are already sitting pretty at 8-2. Cleveland, Houston, New York and Chicago have all continued to struggle.

Boston has been led by their new and improved offense. Hanley Ramirez has been a key addition, having a huge impact, already leading the team with four home runs and nine RBI. Xander Bogaerts has been a pleasant surprise at the plate, leading the team in batting with a .395 average and playing flawless defense with zero errors at shortstop. Dustin Pedroia is seeking his fifth gold glove award and is still swinging a hot bat. The Sox lead the league in on-base percentage and arguably have the best lineup in the league. If the pitching staff can remain average, the Red Sox have a good chance to run away with the division crown. The New York Yankees are in last place in the division due to lack of pitching. The Yankees have allowed the second most earned runs by any pitching staff in the league and can not find any consistency on offense. This is certainly not the year for fans of the Bronx Bombers.

Detroit has wasted no time getting right back to where they left off with the league’s best record of 9-1. Miguel Cabrera is swinging the best bat in baseball, and David Price is looking like an early Cy Young candidate. Jose Iglesias struggled at the plate in spring training, but is leading the league with a .484 average through 10 games, exceedingly helping Detroit’s lineup. Yoenis Cespedes has bolstered the middle of the batting order, adding much needed power and consistency that they didn’t have last year. And the good news for Detroit fans is that their second ace in Justin Verlander, who has been out all season battling multiple triceps injuries, will be returning. Once he returns, look for the Tigers to take over the league. The Minnesota Twins are colder than their climate. They reside in the basement of the Central Division as usual with a miserable 3-7 record, with the least amount of runs in the American league. Minnesota is relying on Phil Hughes as their ace, who the Yankees cut ties with years ago due to him being injury prone and inconsistent. It’s as cold as ice for the Minnesota Twins these days.

The West is up for grabs to say the least at the moment with the Los Angeles Angels in first place with a .500 record at 5-5. It is pretty obvious that they are the favorites to run away with division on the back of the world’s best player, Mike Trout. Trout is clearly the favorite to take home MVP honors once again this year and lead the Angels into another post-season appearance. Jared Weaver and Matt Shoemaker are both spectacular starting pitchers and have looked great in their first two starts. Huston Street has been flawless this season, closing games for the Angels, converting on four out of four of his chances for saves and has still yet to allow a run. The Houston Astros are looking helpless yet again this season. They are batting just .207 as a team this season, which is good for dead last in the majors. They didn’t make any offseason improvements after finishing last place in their division last year. Expect the same result this season from the Astros.

College basketball has been changed for the better since the NBA no longer allows players to come in straight out of high school. This rule was established in 2006 to encourage the young players to play at least a season at the collegiate level. Even with this rule, they don’t have to play college basketball because they can go overseas to play professionally or even take a year off.

Most high school players weren’t happy about the rule change, as they feel like it holds them back. Some even feel like it’s bad for their career because they aren’t as good as they could have been if they had gone right to the pros at 18 years old.

This also gives the NCAA players out of high school that would have never ended up playing at the college level if it weren’t for the rule change.

Most of the best players go to college for one year and then leave for the NBA draft. This plan is known as “the one and done”, because they go for one year and then instantly depart. The majority of the best teams in the country are led by multiple players who are doing the “one and done,” led by the Kentucky Wildcats and their head coach John Calipari. Calipari has become notorious for successful “one and dones” at Kentucky, which has led him to landing the top recruiting class the past five seasons. This past season Kentucky went undefeated in the regular season and lost in the final four.

Legendary Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski has also joined in as a key contributor to the new style of the “one and done” strategy. This year Duke had three of the top 20 recruits in the country coming out of high school. Duke won the national championship this year on the backs of their freshmen. The freshmen accounted for almost all of Dukes points in the national championship game, scoring 60 of their 68 points against Wisconsin. Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow two of Dukes “one and dones” are going to be selected in the top five picks of the upcoming NBA draft this June. Tyus Jones, Duke’s freshman point guard this past season, was MVP of the national championship game and may forgo the rest of his college career to be a first round pick this June.

If you take a look back at the NBA draft in recent years all of the top selections have been “one and dones” dating back to 2010 when John Wall was selected first out of Kentucky after his freshman year. The next year Kyrie Irving was selected first overall fresh out of Duke, despite only playing four games there due to injury. In 2012, Anthony Davis won the national championship at Kentucky and set an NCAA Division I block record for a single season. He was taken first by the New Orleans Hornets.

In 2013 Anthony Bennett was taken first overall after a dominate one season at UNLV under veteran coach Dave Rice. Perhaps one of the most hyped players coming into the league of this decade was Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins was a one-year phenom at Kansas, then immediately went pro and was selected first by the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s draft.

There is no way that the NBA can get away with this forever because no one in America wants talent to be held back. As long as they are getting away with it, the NCAA needs to embrace that the NBA doesn’t allow these kids to come in from high school. If they were to go pro out of high school, college basketball would lose all of its biggest superstars. Coming straight out of high school has worked out perfectly fine for NBA superstars like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Dwight Howard. Who knows if they would have been as good as they are now if they had to go to college for a season instead of the extra year they got when they were 18.

The University of Maine baseball team is off to a tough start to the season, with a 9-16 overall record and 1-3 conference mark.

That’s not to say that there are not some encouraging signs for the team, including the addition of a transfer talent from Illinois in third-year Brett Chappell for this season.

Chappell played his first season at Northern Illinois University and then a season of junior college baseball at Parkland College. He now is the Black Bears’ starting second baseman, and bats in the cleanup spot of the batting order.

Chappell played baseball for Rock Falls High School, coached by his father in his home state of Illinois. Chappell had quite the high school baseball career, garnering some impressive accomplishments. He was player of the year twice, a first-team all-state selection his senior year and was named Quad City Times player of the year. He also had a jaw dropping batting average of .500 on the season, and just dominated the competition.

Chappell didn’t miss a beat after high school, playing as a captain at Parkland, where he hit .365 with three home runs last season.

Chappell may be far away from home, but he has had no trouble adjusting to the school or baseball team and is off to a great start this season.

“Right off the bat I’ve had a really good connection with everybody, having that connection has really helped make the transition easy,” Chappell said.

He is currently batting .352 on the year, with a team-leading 23 RBI and six doubles. He approaches his at-bats with patience, one at a time.

“It’s staying simple, not trying to do to much up there,” he said.

While tearing it up at the plate, his defense has been flawless so far in conference play. Though it may be early in conference play, Chappell is yet to record an American East error.

While the team is up to a tough start, two of their conference losses came in extra innings and easily could have been wins for the Black Bears.

Chappell is still very confident in the team and believes they can still win the conference.

“Our goal is to win the America East, hopefully get to a regional and see what we can do there,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting on a hot streak which we’re capable of doing.”

Chappell is certainly doing all he can at the plate and defensively to try and accomplish winning the conference title.

Chappell has a dream of playing professional baseball but if that doesn’t pan out, then he wants to become a teacher. His goal is to attend graduate school to get his masters and become an athletic director.

Last year, the University of Maine baseball team had to postpone their opening games due to snow on the field.

Sunday, the Black Bears were able to open their season on time as they played host to the University at Albany Great Danes for a double-header. UMaine took down the Great Danes 4-3 in the first game before dropping the second one 9-5.

Black Bears top Albany

Albany came out swinging the bats in the first inning, scoring twice off of UMaine third-year starting pitcher Jake Marks. Albany’s third-year leadoff hitter Will Miller got aboard with a walk, and then third-year shortstop Trevor DeMerritt hit a single up the middle. With two men on for the Great Danes’ third-year clean up hitter Matt Hinchey, stepped up and ripped one to left field for a long single scoring two runs.

Maine got to Albany’s third-year starting pitcher Brendan Ryan in the second inning when they scored a run thanks to the clever base running by third-year first baseman Brenden Geary.

Geary got on with a walk and then reached second off a single. With two men on, third-year catcher Kevin Stypulkowski was at the plate and fooled Albany by showing bunt and then pulling back, drawing in all the infielders including the Great Danes third baseman Adam Mund. Geary realized the over commitment by Mund and took third base. The very next pitch Stypulkowski hit a deep fly out to center field, scoring Geary on a sacrifice fly and cutting the lead to 2-1.

Despite the rough start for Marks, he settled down and held the Great Danes scoreless the next three and a third innings pitched.

UMaine head coach Steve Trimper decided to go with the first-year flamethrower Justin Courtney when two men reached base in the fifth inning. Courtney came in and quickly ousted both Albany hitters he faced, getting the Black Bears out of a jam. He went on to pitch the next three innings, allowing just one run and keeping the Great Danes in check.

Third-year Albany reliever, Terry Dugdale replaced Ryan after six solid innings and struggled. Maine fourth-year centerfielder Sam Balzano hit a line drive single to right, starting off a three-run seventh inning rally. Next up was third-year shortstop Shane Bussey, who hit a slow bouncer to Albany’s second baseman, who bobbled it and was charged with an error allowing both runners to make it on safely. Fourth-year UMaine captain Scott Heath stepped up at the perfect time, tying the game by hitting an RBI single to right, scoring Balzano and advancing Bussey to third. An RBI double and sacrifice fly later, the Black Bears had a 4-2 advantage. The Great Danes tacked on a run in the eighth when first-year Shawn Blake scored on a fielder’s choice to cut the lead to one, but that was as close as Albany would get.

Maine third-year closing pitcher Charlie Butler came in and sealed the deal in the ninth inning for the Black Bears. He made quick work of the Great Danes, only having to face three batters.

Black Bears fall in extras

The Maine Black Bears gave the nod to second-year Jeff Gelinas. Albany came out again swinging hot bats just like they did in the first game of the doubleheader. Gelinas struggled, allowing five runs on six hits in just 2.2 innings pitched, digging Maine a deep hole early.  Fortunately for Gelinas, the Black Bear bullpen and bats had his back.

Albany second-year shortstop Trevor DeMerritt started off the two out, first inning hit parade by singling to right field with no one on base. DeMerritt’s single was followed by another single by Hinchey. Then came back-to-back doubles for the Great Danes from first-year Shawn Blake and Eric Mueller, giving Albany a 3-0 lead after the top frame.

Second-year Stephen Woods was the starting pitcher for Albany and struggled to find the strike zone early. He walked three batters in which two of them were walked on four pitches.  The Black Bears couldn’t capitalize on his inability to find the strike zone, allowing Woods to sneak away with just one earned run despite the three walks. Maine’s lone run of the inning was by Balzano on an RBI ground out by Geary.

Maine brought in third-year reliever Logan Fullmer in the third inning and he pitched a gem.  Fullmer kept the Black Bears in the contest the entire game, as he went 5.1 shutout innings and allowing just one hit and zero walks. Fullmer was mixing up pitches beautifully, keeping hitters off balanced and constantly guessing.

Maine was down 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth and the bats finally woke up. Third-year Black Bears shortstop Shane Bussey got on with a leadoff walk that was then followed up by Heath rocketing a two run shot to right field. This forced Albany to go to their bullpen and take out Woods. A new pitcher would not slow down the Maine offense.  Stypulkowski was walked and then batted in by a double to the right-center field gap by first-year Chris Garabedian. The Black Bears ended the fifth inning down by just one run at 5-4.

As Fullmer continued to work his magic, Maine kept producing at the plate for him. In the sixth inning with two outs, Chappell and Geary got on base with back to back walks for Kevin Stypulkowski, who smacked one to right field for a game-tying RBI double.

Maine brought in closing pitcher Charlie Butler in the ninth inning as Fullmer was getting tired.  There was no offense the first couple of extra innings — no one could seem to find a way on base.

Maine found life in the bottom of the ninth with fourth-year Garabedian singling to left field and fourth-year Brian Doran lining one up the middle for a single. First-year Bobby Brennan hit a hard ground ball to the second baseman for a routine double play.

The 10th inning was rough for Maine and their closing pitcher Charlie Butler.

Albany went off in the 10th inning, tallying four runs and putting the game out of reach at 9-5. Maine was held scoreless in the latter half of the inning, and ended up splitting the double header with the Albany Great Danes.