ORONO — Ja’Shonte Wright-McLeish scored 17 points as Maine defeated the New Jersey Institute of Technology 65-61 on Sunday, giving interim head coach Jai Steadman his first win.
Steadman, in his first season as an assistant coach at Maine, was elevated to the head coaching position on Thursday, replacing Richard Barron.
Stephane Ingo had 12 points for Maine (6-20, 3-12 America East Conference). Peter Filipovity added 10 points and seven rebounds. Maks Klanjscek had seven assists.
Miles Coleman had 24 points for the Highlanders (11-14, 6-9). Matt Faw added 14 points. Souleymane Diakite had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Dylan O’Hearn, who was second on the Highlanders in scoring heading into the matchup with 13 points per game, shot only 11 percent in the game (1 of 9).
The Black Bears evened the season series against the Highlanders. NJIT defeated Maine 69-66 on Jan. 2.
WESLEYAN 82, COLBY 71: The top-seeded Cardinals (22-3) outscored the Mules (12-13) by 11 points in the second half to win a NESCAC quarterfinal game in Middletown, Connecticut.
Sam Peek scored 21 points, while Jordan James had 15 points and 17 rebounds for Wesleyan, who advances to face No. 7 Trinity in the conference semifinals. Nicky Johnson had 20 points for the Cardinals.
Will King had 21 points and eight rebounds, while Noah Tyson and Matt Hanna each had 14 for Colby.
MIDDLEBURY 91, BOWDOIN 72: Alex Sobel had 20 points and 14 rebounds as the third-seeded Panthers (18-5) beat the 11th-seeded Polar Bears (12-13) in a NESCAC quarterfinal game in Middlebury, Vermont.
Noah Osher scored 22 points for Middlebury, which advances to the semifinals to face No. 4 Williams. Sam Stevens added 12 and Jaden Bobbett had 12.
Taiga Kagitomi had 14 points, while James McGowan and Afamdi Achufusi added 11 points each.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
AMHERST 65, COLBY 35: Gabrielle Zaffiro scored 16 points as the third-seeded Mammoths eliminated the 11th-seeded Mules in a NESCAC quarterfinal in Amherst, Massachusetts.
The Mammoths (20-2, 7-2 NESCAC) closed the second quarter with a 10-2 run for a 26-17 lead, then steadily increase their lead in the second half.
Chiamaka Ubani had 12 points for the Colby (12-10, 2-8).
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
AMHERST 4, COLBY 1: Carley Daly had a pair of goals and Kate Pohl added a goal and two assists as the Mammoths (12-8-2, 8-6-2 NESCAC) handled the Mules (15-4-1, 11-4-1) in Waterville.
Meg Rittenhouse scored and Nina Prunster stopped 35 shots for Colby.
SOFTBALL
NORTH DAKOTA ST. 8, MAINE 2: Chloe Woldruff had three hits with two RBI and Paige Vargas pitched a two-hitter with nine strikeouts as the Bison (6-2) defeated the Black Bears (1-4) in Statesboro, Georgia.
The Bison scored three runs in the second inning, then at least a run in each of their remaining innings at bat.
Maine scored their two runs in the fourth on a sacrifice bunt by Grace McGouldrick and a single by Mariah Pearson.
BASEBALL
LSU 21, MAINE 6: Cade Doughty had three hits with five RBI and the Tigers (3-0) completed a season-opening sweep of the Black Bears (0-3) with 16-hit attack in Baton Rogue, Louisiana.
Doughty hit a three-run home run and plated a run on a sacrifice fly during a five-run first. He added an RBI double during a six-run second.
The Tigers, who outscored Maine 51-15 in the series, added a single run in the third for a 12-1 lead before breaking it open with an eight-run fifth and capping it with lone run in the eighth.
Joe Bramanti hit a 3-run double during a five-run seventh inning for Maine.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
