McLean Hits Clutch Shot To Force OT, But Maine Prevails Over QU Men's Basketball

Tuesday, December 29

Cross Insurance Center - Bangor, ME

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

University of Maine

McLean Hits Clutch Shot To Force OT, But Maine Prevails Over QU Men's Basketball

12/29/2015 9:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

BANGOR, Maine – Senior guard Giovanni McLean (Bronx, N.Y.) tied the score with a three-pointer with 17 seconds left in regulation, but the Maine men's basketball team regrouped to take a 98-95 overtime win over Quinnipiac on Tuesday evening at the Cross Insurance Center in the final non-conference game of the 2015-16 regular season for the Bobcats.

Freshman forward Abdulai Bundu (Upper Marlboro, Md. - pictured) had a huge day in the defeat with 23 points and 15 rebounds for Quinnipiac, after coming in with personal highs of eight points and nine rebounds. With the loss, the Bobcats slip to 4-7 overall on the year, while Maine improves its record to 3-9 with the home victory, snapping a six-game losing streak.

Quinnipiac was down seven with less than three minutes left in regulation, but a three-pointer from senior guard James Ford, Jr. (Hopewell, Va.) brought the Bobcats within two at 79-77 with 2:02 left. After Maine made one of two at the line to go ahead 80-77, Quinnipiac had the ball under its own basket with 21 seconds on the game clock and four seconds on the shot clock, and after a timeout to design the play, McLean shook free in the corner for the tying three-pointer. Maine missed a long-range shot at the buzzer to force the game into an extra session.

Sophomore guard Ayron Hutton (Virginia Beach, Va.) started off the overtime with a three-pointer to give the Bobcats an 83-80 lead, but Maine scored the next seven points to pull ahead 87-83 as Ryan Bernstein capped it off with a deep three-pointer before the shot clock expired.

Ford twice hit clutch three-pointers in the overtime to bring the Bobcats back within a single possession, the second coming with 15 seconds left to make it 87-86. However, Maine, which was 7-17 at the foul line in regulation, made 9-9 at the line in overtime to hold off the Bobcats for the 98-95 win as the final desperation attempt from Hutton from the midcourt line fell short.

The first half was a high scoring back-and-forth affair which featured 15 lead changes and neither team ever leading by more than three. Quinnipiac took a 47-46 lead into the break with two baskets in the final 30 seconds, as McLean found junior forward Donovan Smith (Chicago, Ill.) for a jump hook on the low block with 25 seconds left, and Hutton had a steal and a breakaway layup just before the buzzer to give the Bobcats a one-point lead. Bundu had 11 points and seven rebounds in the first half alone to break into double figures for the first time in his collegiate career before halftime.

Smith matched his career high with 18 points, to go along with 11 rebounds, giving the Bobcats two players with double-doubles in the same game for the first time this season. McLean finished with 19 points and six assists, while Ford had 13 and Hutton added 12. The Bobcats held a 48-31 edge on the boards, with 24 of them coming on the offensive end, led by the 11 from Bundu.

Till Gloger led Maine with 20 points on 8-11 shooting from the floor, including five points in overtime, while Kevin Little matched him for team high honors with 20 points.

Quinnipiac will be back in action when it returns to MAAC play on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a home game against preseason conference favorite Iona, which will be televised live on Sportsnet New York (SNY). For ticket information for the Iona contest and all Quinnipiac home games, contact the TD Bank Sports Center box office at 203-582-3905 or visit QuinnipiacBobcats.com.