THE BASICS:

RESULT: Maine 52, Hartford 41
LOCATION: Cross Insurance Center (Bangor, Maine)
ATTENDANCE: 880
RECORDS: Hartford (6-19, 1-9 America East); Maine (6-20, 2-9)

THE LEAD:
Maine got a game-high 11 points from Andrew Fleming, as the Black Bears took advantage of an ice-cold shooting night for the Hartford men's basketball team, topping the Hawks 52-41 on Monday in the Cross Insurance Center.
 
The Black Bears did not have another player finish in double figures, but the home squad got good balance, as five other players scored at least five points in the victory. Fleming led the way with eight rebounds in the win as well.
 
Jalen Ross and Jack Hobbs each had 10 points to lead the Hawks, while George Blagojevic and J.R. Lynch each posted seven. Hassan Attia had a career-high 13 rebounds, seven of those coming on the offensive end. The Hawks shot 12-for-57 (.211) overall and 4-for-28 (.143) from beyond the arc in the defeat.
 
FIRST HALF:
Both teams struggled out of the gate offensively, trading blows to a 10-8 Hartford lead  following a Blagojevic layup at the 10:51 mark that gave the sophomore five points early. Maine then went on the biggest run for either team of the opening stanza, delivering six straight points to garner a 14-10 lead, the biggest edge for either squad.
 
The Hawks got a response from Lynch, who buried a three, and then Attia's putback dunk put the visitors ahead by a 15-14 score. The teams traded points the rest of the way into the locker room, with a Lynch jumper representing the final score of the half as the Hawks entered the break ahead 21-20.
 
SECOND HALF:
Maine started clicking offensively to open the second half, hitting seven of its first 10 to embark on a 16-6 run to pull ahead 36-27. The Black Bears were able to add to their lead, pushing the advantage to 12, 40-28, with 7:15 to play.
 
The Hawks then got a three-ball from JHobbs, and then four points in rapid succession from Ross and Andrew Ramirez, to make it a 7-1 run and cut the lead to six, 43-37. Maine was able to deliver an answer, though, netting back-to-back buckets inside to push the lead back to 47-37. Hartford got the lead back down to six after an Attia free throw, but that was as close as the home squad would get, as Maine took the game, 52-41.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Despite his toughest shooting night of the year, Ross extended his double-figure scoring streak to 39-straight games, dating back to January of last year. He went 5-for-8 at the line with a 2-for-15 mark from the field.
• Attia's 13 rebounds were a new career high for the junior transfer. Hartford grabbed 42 rebounds on the game, including 15 caroms on the offensive end. Blagojevic matched his career high with eight boards.
• Both the overall and three-point shooting percentages were season lows for the Hawks.
• Hobbs finished in double figures for the second time in the last three games and  the fifth time overall this season.

 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks continue their road swing with a midweek trip to Baltimore to take on UMBC on Thursday night at the RAC Center. The contest will tip at 7 p.m. and will be carried live on ESPN3. Hartford then returns home for a Sunday matinee against UMass Lowell on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at HartfordHawks.com or by calling 860.768.HAWK (4295).