Jon Iati's Season-High 23 Points Leads UAlbany to America East Road Win Against Maine

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Orono, Maine – Jon Iati scored a season-high 23 points to pace four players in double figures in leading UAlbany to a 74-60 victory over Maine in America East Conference play on Thursday, Feb. 14 at Harold Alfond Sports Arena. The Great Danes, who have won four of their last five games, moved above the .500 mark for the first time since mid-December.


Maine (7-17, AE 3-8) leaped to a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes when Philippe Tchekane Bofia canned a three-point field goal from the top of the arc. Tchekane Bofia, a 6-foot-6 junior who made his first seven field goal attempts, and had 17 first-half points, helped his team push out to a 23-13 advantage. Sean McNally scored in lane from a driving Sean Costigan to give the Black Bears their 10-point cushion.


The Great Danes, who got off to a tough start by missing their opening seven shots from the floor, still trailed 27-19 after Troy Barnies converted a drive from the right side. But UAlbany (13-12, AE 8-5) kicked it in high gear over the final six minutes of the period with 20 unanswered. Iati, a 5’9” senior, buried back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the contest at 27 apiece. Freshman guard Josh Martin then put his team ahead with a fastbreak layup following a steal. Iati sank another long-range jumper, while Al Turley hit two free throws and made a turnaround in the lane to help their club post a 39-27 halftime margin.


The Black Bears, who came from behind to record an 81-70 victory in the first meeting between these teams on Jan. 23 at SEFCU Arena, closed within 44-39 when Barnies connected on a three-point play when he was fouled while scoring off an inbounds pass. UAlbany still led 50-44 with 13:42 remaining, but then tallied 12 of the game’s next 15 points to pull away. Martin canned a three-pointer from the right wing to begin that run. Brian Lillis, who totaled 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds, keyed the end of that decisive stretch. He converted a jump hook in the lane and set up Brian Connelly and Turley on two other baskets for a commanding 62-47 lead.


"The first 10 minutes we were flat on offense and defense,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team held Maine to 41.2-percent shooting. “As we started to get stops, we started to make shots. We played very good basketball on both ends of the floor. Once we got confident, we did some very good things."


Iati, who made 6-of-9 from the three-point arc, and added five rebounds and four assists, later made a 6-foot jumper after gathering an offensive board and found Lillis open on the right blocks to give his team its largest lead at 68-49 with 4:48 to play. Connelly, who made 6-of-10 from the field, finished with 14 points, while Brent Wilson was the fourth player in twin figures with 13.


"My toe has been feeling better, so when I'm on the floor pain free, its easier out there,” explained Iati, who registered his highest point total since netting 25 against Utah Valley State on Dec. 30, 2006. “I am able to get a lot of open shots, because when we get an offensive rebound they are able to kick it out to me on the perimeter while my defender is going for the ball."


Bofia ended up with 19 points and five rebounds for the Black Bears, who played without injured starting guard Junior Bernal and sixth-man Brian Andre. Mark Socoby, the team’s leading scorer, scored 12 of his 14 points in the final stanza. McNally and Kaimondre Owes had 11 and 10 points, respectively.


"Our defense was to make sure we knew where (Mark) Socoby was,” said Connelly, a double-figure scorer for the 15th time this season. “We feel good about this game and our performance. Hopefully we can ride this train and keep the momentum going into next week’s game with UMBC (Feb. 20)."



UAlbany 74, Maine 60 (2/14/08 at Orono, Maine)

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Official Basketball Box Score
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Official Basketball Box Score
Albany vs Maine
2/14/08 7 p.m. at Alfond Arena, Orono, Maine
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VISITORS: Albany 13-12, 8-5
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 Hastings, Jerel..... f 1-5 0-1 0-0 2 3 5 3 2 1 0 0 1 22
33 Connelly, Brian..... f 6-10 0-0 2-2 1 4 5 2 14 0 3 1 2 33
34 Wilson, Brent....... f 5-11 3-6 0-0 0 4 4 4 13 2 1 0 0 25
55 Turley, Al.......... c 2-5 0-0 2-4 2 1 3 2 6 1 1 2 0 17
21 Lillis, Brian....... g 3-11 0-2 4-6 1 4 5 3 10 7 2 2 1 27
03 Martin, Josh........ 2-3 1-1 0-0 0 5 5 1 5 5 0 0 0 19
12 Moores, Rob......... 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
14 Iati, Jon........... 7-11 6-9 3-4 2 3 5 1 23 4 1 0 0 31
23 Ambrose, Tim........ 0-2 0-0 1-2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 7
42 Covington, Jimmie... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
54 Gifford, Brett...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 6
TEAM................ 5 5
Totals.............. 26-59 10-19 12-19 15 26 41 16 74 20 9 5 4 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-29 44.8% 2nd Half: 13-30 43.3% Game: 44.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-10 50.0% 2nd Half: 5-9 55.6% Game: 52.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 8-12 66.7% 2nd Half: 4-7 57.1% Game: 63.2% 3

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HOME TEAM: Maine 7-17, 3-8
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
03 Barnies, Troy....... f 2-5 0-1 1-1 0 2 2 2 5 0 0 0 1 28
21 McNally, Sean....... f 5-9 0-0 1-2 2 8 10 2 11 0 2 1 0 36
44 Tchekane Bofia, Phil f 8-15 3-6 0-0 0 5 5 1 19 0 1 3 3 31
15 Owes, Kaimondre..... g 4-9 1-2 1-2 1 1 2 5 10 6 4 0 0 34
22 Socoby, Mark........ g 2-9 2-7 8-11 0 3 3 3 14 3 3 0 1 35
05 Hanzlik, Robby...... 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 10
32 Costigan, Sean...... 0-2 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 1 0 2 1 0 0 14
42 Peay, Malachi....... 0-0 0-0 1-2 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 12
TEAM................ 2 1 3
Totals.............. 21-51 6-18 12-18 7 22 29 18 60 12 11 5 5 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-23 43.5% 2nd Half: 11-28 39.3% Game: 41.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-7 57.1% 2nd Half: 2-11 18.2% Game: 33.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-5 60.0% 2nd Half: 9-13 69.2% Game: 66.7% 3

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Officials: Jeffry Bryant, Gary Agger, Jeff Nichols
Technical fouls: Albany-None. Maine-Owes, Kaimondre.
Attendance: 1150
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Albany........................ 39 35 - 74
Maine......................... 27 33 - 60
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