|
Ernest Turner Leads Maine Past Mercer
Dec. 30, 2005
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-- Ernest Turner (Camden, N.J.) scored a game-high 26 points to lead the University of Maine men's basketball team past Mercer 72-64 in the consolation game of the Dr. Pepper Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Black Bears improve to 4-8 on the season, while Mercer falls to 1-7. For his performance in the two games, Ernest Turner was named to the Dr. Pepper All-Tournament team. Maine jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the game thanks to Ernest Turner who drained a pair of three-point field goals to open the game. He then scored on a layup to extend Maine's lead to 8-0. The Black Bears were able to push their lead to 15-0, holding Mercer scoreless the first 4:10 of the game. Maine continued to push play and add to its lead. The Black Bears led 21-6 with 11:41 remaining in the first half, with Ernest Turner having 12 of Maine's 21 points. Mercer started hitting shots and got back into the game. Mercer cut the Maine lead to two points on several different occasions and tied the game with a pair of free throws with 1:59 remaining in the first half. With the scored tied 38-38, Mercer hit five free throws in the final 1:02 of the second half to take a 43-38 lead into halftime. Ernest Turner led Maine with 17 first half points. Philippe Tchekane Bofia (Yaounde, Cameroon) added six points, while Jon Sheets (Grass Valley, Calif.) chipped in with five.
Mercer extended its lead to seven points in the second half, but Maine answered when Ernest Turner drained his third three-point field goal of the game to cut the deficit to two points with 17:07 remaining in the game. The Black Bears took the lead in the second half when Chris Bruff (Bloomfield, Conn.) got an offensive rebound and went up strong with the basketball with 12:39 remaining to give Maine a 52-51 lead. Rashard Turner (Peekskill, N.Y.) extended the Maine lead when he scored on a layup on Maine's next possession. Ernest Turner scored six straight points as the Black Bears built their lead to 10 points with 8:42 remaining in the game. Mercer cut the Maine lead to one points with 2:40 remaining. The Black Bears responded. Tchekane Bofia drained a pair of free throws. Bruff then grabbed a rebounds and dribbled the length of the floor and hit a layup to give Maine a 69-64 lead. Sheets followed by draining a clutch three-point field goal to give the Black Bears a 72-64 lead with 1:04 remaining and that turned out to be the final. Ernest Turner led Maine with 26 points, which tied his season-high. He grabbed six rebounds, had two assists and two steals. Tchekane Bofia added 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Sheets had 10 points and five assists. Bruff chipped in with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Maine shot 47.4 percent in the game as it connected on 27-of-57 shots. The Black Bears return to action on Tuesday, January 3 when they host UMaine Machias at 7:30 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine. -U-M- |
