BANGOR

Senior guard Ilker Er scored a game-high 23 points, including eight straight during a critical 14-0 spurt in the second half, as the University of Maine men’s basketball team erased an eight-point deficit in the final eight minutes to beat Binghamton 76-73 at Vestal, New York, Saturday afternoon.

Junior guard Aaron Calixte scored 18 points and Isaiah White had 13 points for UMaine (4-13, 1-1 America East).

Calixte scored 15 of his points in the second half and Er had 14 as the Black Bears outscored the Bearcats 49-39 to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit.

Er went 10-for-14 from the floor, including 2-for-5 on 3- pointers, and Calixte was 4-for- 6, including 2-for-4 from the 3- point arc.

J. C. Show tossed in 20 points for Binghamton (9-7, 0-1 AE) and Thomas Bruce contributed 12.

UMaine trailed 61-53 with 7:58 remaining when White hit a 3-pointer off a Calixte feed to trigger the run of 14 unanswered points.

Er converted a traditional three-point play after rebounding a Vernon Lowndes Jr. miss and Er then made a jumper to tie it.

Er gave UMaine the lead for good with a 3 off an Ilija Stojiljkovic pass before Calixte capped the run with a conventional three-point play.