Albany holds off Maine 85-78

Jan 18, 2014, 04:51 pm

ORONO, Maine -- Gary Johnson scored a career-high 28 points and Albany held off Maine for an 85-78 win on Saturday.

Maine cut a second-half deficit to 79-76 with 55 seconds remaining after Till Gloger hit a pair of free throws, but Zarko Valjarevic's attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer with 18 seconds left was off the mark. Peter Hooley made all six of his free throw attempts in the final 16 seconds of the game as Albany (9-9, 3-2 America East Conference) edged Maine (3-14, 1-4).

Hooley scored 19 for the Great Danes, including 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Michael Rowley added 10 points for Albany as the Great Danes snapped a two-game conference losing streak.

Ethan Mackey scored a career-high 24 points for Maine. Dimitry Akanda-Coronel scored 19, Gloger added 13 and Xavier Pollard had 11 for the Black Bears, who have dropped their last four contests.