Brown Loses Home Opener in Close Game
A second-half surge put Brown (0-2) ahead by two late, but Maine (2-1) drained two free throws with 21 seconds remaining to defeat the Bears 69-67 on Sunday afternoon in the Pizzitola Sports Center.
After taking a 55-50 lead, Maine was held scoreless for nearly five minutes as the Bears scored 12 unanswered to take a seven-point lead with 5:44 left to play. Kino Lilly Jr. caught fire from long distance, and Malcolm Wrisby-Jefferson provided a spark off the bench with a pair of steals and fast break buckets.
Lilly Jr. led the Bears with 18 points – all from three-point range – as he moved into second place in program history with 250 career three-pointers. The senior DMV native added five assists and four rebounds. Landon Lewis reached double figures again with 15 points and four boards, Aaron Cooley recorded 13 points and five rebounds, and Lyndel Erold had 10 points and three steals. Wrisby-Jefferson scored eight points, five rebounds, and two steals off the bench.
Lewis was a rim protector early on, with a blocked shot minutes into the opening stanza. LL had four points and two rebounds to begin the contest.
Maine shot 55.2 percent to take a 33-29 edge into the half. Lewis led all players with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and added a block and three rebounds. Lilly Jr. connected on two triples and dished three assists.
The Black Bears took their largest lead of the game with 12:38 remaining after Quion Burns’ three made it 50-41 Maine.
Moments later, Wrisby-Jefferson’s steal and layup began a 9-2 Brown run, capped by Cooley’s and-one off MWJ’s assist to make it a one-possession game.
Lilly Jr.’s three-pointer with 7:37 left to play regained the lead for Brown 57-55. Erold’s free throws put the Bears back in front following a Black Bears basket.
NEXT UP
The Bears host the College Hill Classic next weekend. Brown will play New Hampshire on Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m., Holy Cross on Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sacred Heart on Sunday at 6 p.m.
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