Hopkins Nets 16 Points in 57-51 Win vs. Maine

Wednesday, January 8

Durham, N.H.

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

8-7,1-1America East

Maine

4-12,0-2America East

Team	1	2	F
Maine	22	29	51
New Hampshire	32	25	57

Photo by: Jack Bouchard

1/8/2020 10:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

PHOTO GALLERY

DURHAM, N.H. – Josh Hopkins (Greensboro, N.C.) scored 16 points, including two free throws with nine seconds remaining, to lift the University of New Hampshire men's basketball team to Wednesday night's 57-51 America East win against the University of Maine at Lundholm Gym.

Hopkins made four 3-pointers to account for 12 of his game-high 16 points. Sean Sutherlin (New Brighton, Minn.) pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and also scored nine points. Chris Lester (Barrington, Ill.) finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Maine was led by Andrew Fleming (14 points) and Sergio El Darwich (11).

UNH remained unbeaten at home (6-0) to improve to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in America East. Maine is now 4-12, 0-2.

NEXT GAME // NEXT HOME GAME
•New Hampshire returns to action Jan. 11 (7 p.m.) at Stony Brook University.
•UNH's next home game is Wednesday, Jan. 15 (7 p.m.) against the University at Albany.

TICKETS
•Single game tickets for UNH men's basketball home games start as low as $3 and can be purchased by calling (603) 862-4000, visiting the Whittemore Center box office or going online to www.unhwildcats.com.

BUFFALO WILD WINGS BORDER BATTLE
•New Hampshire currently leads the Border Battle presented by Buffalo Wild Wings against Maine, 7-5, following Wednesday night's basketball split. Click on the link for complete standings, upcoming matchups and to learn how you can receive free wings following a Wildcats' win vs. the Black Bears.

FIRST HALF
•Both teams struggled offensively in the opening six minutes at Maine led 8-3 at 13:58.
•Lester hit a 3-pointer and layup to level the score, 8-8, at 12:42.
•Trailing 10-8, UNH scored eight consecutive points to take a 16-10 lead at 9:26. Mark Carbone (Wethersfield, Conn.) hit a jumper to start the run and made a 3-pointer to give the 'Cats that six-point cushion.
•Lester's 3-ball extended the advantage to eight points, 23-15, at 6:16.
•A layup by Sutherlin gave New Hampshire its largest lead of the half, 30-20, at 2:12.
•The home team took a 10-point lead (32-22) into halftime after Sutherlin's steal at halfcourt led to a thunderous dunk with eight seconds on the clock.

SECOND HALF
•Both teams once again struggled to score when play resumed, as UNH outscored the visitors 2-1 the opening four minutes of the half.
•The Wildcats built their largest lead of the game, 14 points, when Hopkins' 3-pointer advanced the score to 41-27 at 13:27.
•Trailing 43-29, Maine went on a 9-0 run to trim the deficit to five points (43-38) at 8:33.
•After the Black Bears made it a one-possession game, 45-42 at 6:03, Hopkins connected from beyond the 3-point arc to push the lead to six points.
•Maine closed within two points, 50-48, on El Darwich's 3-ball at 3:29.
•Lester pulled down an offensive rebound on the ensuing possession, and Nick Guadarrama (Newington, Conn.) hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the 'Cats a 53-48 lead at 2:42.
•Leading 55-48 with one minute remaining, the Wildcats missed the front end of two 1-and-1's. At the other end of the court, Maine missed two 3-point attempts but Fleming finally made one from long range to lift the Black Bears within 55-51 with 11 seconds left.
•Hopkins was fouled on the inbounds and made both ends of the 1-and-1 to extend New Hampshire's lead to 57-51 with nine seconds to play.

SERIES NOTEBOOK
•The UNH and Maine men's basketball teams have tipped off 183 times with the Black Bears holding a 108-75 advantage.
•The home team has won each of the last six matchups.
•The Wildcats have won each of the past six meetings at Lundholm Gym.

UNH NOTEBOOK
•New Hampshire has a 6-1 record following a loss.
•The Wildcats have alternated wins and losses the past 12 games.
•Lester's 14 points were one less than his career high of 15. He was highly efficient from the floor on 6-for-9 shooting, including 2 of 3 from behind the arc. Lester played 37 minutes, 29 seconds and that included all 20 in the second half.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
•There were just three ties and two lead changes in the game – all in the first half.
•New Hampshire held the lead for 31 minutes, 39 seconds. The Wildcats led the rest of the way after taking a 12-10 lead at 10:46 of the first half.
•UNH's 57 points marked the second-lowest total of the season.
•Maine's 51 points marked the lowest total by a Division I opponent. The Black Bears' .286 field goal percentage is also the lowest by a D-I opponent (second lowest overall).
•The Wildcats recorded season lows in both free throws made (three) and attempted (six).
•UNH finished with a 45-29 rebounding advantage.
•New Hampshire took a 10-point lead into halftime on the strength of a .520 field goal percentage (13-25). Maine shot 24.0 percent in the first half.
•UNH finished the game with a .460 shooting percentage in comparison to Maine's .286.
•The 'Cats had a 24-16 scoring edge in the paint and 12-10 in second-chance points.
•Maine converted 20 UNH turnovers into 24 points. The Wildcats scored 10 points off 11 Black Bear turnovers.