Marque Maultsby led UNH with 17 points on Saturday, but the Wildcats fell to UMaine. (Courtesy photo by Tyler Neville/UMaine Athletics)

ORONO, Maine – Marque Maultsby (Raleigh, N.C.) scored a game-high 17 points, but the University of New Hampshire men’s basketball team was edged 59-56 by the University of Maine in Saturday afternoon’s America East matchup at Memorial Gym.

Maultsby hit 6 of 10 field goal attempts, including 2-for-4 from 3-point range, and was a perfect 3 of 3 at the foul line. He also had two assists and two steals.

UNH, which missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the final buzzer, is now 3-3 overall and 2-1 in America East, as well as 0-2 on the road. Maine is 1-3, 1-2.

UNH pulled within one point, 52-51, on a Blondeau Tchoukuiengo (Montreal, Quebec) free throw at 5:10. Maine’s Vilgot Larsson immediately answered with a 3-pointer, however, and his layup gave the Black Bears a 57-51 lead at 2:53.

Neither team scored again until UNH’s K.J. McClurg (Morgantown, W.Va.) was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to trim the margin to 57-54 with 28 seconds remaining.

Following a steal by Martinez, McClurg was fouled and hit two more free throws to lift UNH within 57-56, with 18 seconds to play.

Maine’s Mykhailo Yagodin made two foul shots to reestablish a 3-point cushion 59-56, with 13 seconds on the clock.

The Wildcats advanced the ball and Maultsby’s game-tying attempt from behind the 3-point line did not drop at the buzzer.

Maine shot 50 percent (12-24) from the floor, including 50 percent (4-8) on 3-pointers, in the second half to record the comeback.

The two teams wrap up their Border Battle series today at 1 p.m. at UMaine.

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