The Maine Celtics secured a dominant 142-116 victory over the Delaware Blue Coats at Chase Fieldhouse, claiming their first road win of the season and keeping their undefeated record intact at 3-0.
Operating with a high-powered offense from the opening tip, Maine never trailed in the contest. The visitors shot 55.8% from the field on 53-of-95 shooting, connected on 21-of-48 from three-point range, and distributed 39 assists over the course of the evening.
Devin Carter paced the offense with 24 points and 6 assists. Tucker DeVries chipped in 22 points, hitting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
From the opening minutes, Maine established a rapid tempo. Carter opened the scoring with a three-pointer, followed immediately by back-to-back triples from DeVries to quickly push the visitors into a double-digit advantage. The Celtics sank 7 of their first 12 attempts from long distance, aided by consecutive treys from Hank Morgan. Maine maintained its momentum through the opening period, shooting efficiently to build a 39-26 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Maine extend its advantage further as Amari Williams, Carter, and Chris Cenac Jr. combined for the first nine points of the period, stretching the margin to 19.
Milos Uzan added another three-pointer, and Gabe McGlothan scored consecutive baskets inside to push the lead past 20. Maine shot an extraordinary 60% (27-45) from the floor in the first half, heading into the locker room with a commanding 73-51 cushion while recording 21 assists before intermission.
Delaware fought back during the second half. After Saint Thomas opened the third quarter with a score, DeVries answered with a pair of triples to extend the margin to 24 points. Although Maine briefly stretched its lead to as many as 29 points, the Blue Coats chipped away, utilizing late baskets from Rayan Rupert to narrow the deficit to 15. Maine carried a 104-87 advantage into the final frame.
Leaving Las Vegas with a BANG pic.twitter.com/c3Se6lupk6
Maine's Late-Game Scoring Surge
Carter opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, and DeVries followed with a four-point play to notch his fifth triple of the game. Another three from Carter capped a 10-0 run in the opening minute of the period, prompting a Delaware timeout.
Thomas, Love, and Jones responded with an 8-0 run for the Blue Coats, but Williams halted the momentum with a dunk to restore a 20-point cushion. Down the stretch, Delaware struggled to contain Cenac and Maine’s fast-break scoring.
For the game, Maine shot 55.8% (53-95) overall, 43.8% (21-48) from deep, and 10-12 at the free-throw line. Delaware finished at 47.1% (41-87) from the field, 28.9% (11-38) from beyond the arc, and 13-18 on free throws.
John Tonje when asked if his confidence ever wavered as he fights for an NBA roster spot and whether his rookie year and this Summer League were reaffirming to him. “I’m pretty confident, maybe even delusional. I can't lose that. I think I'm an NBA player, and that's what I'm… https://t.co/akU1xXxaeG pic.twitter.com/LKJ9O7YqiU”
Delaware (1-1) was led by Caleb Love, who scored 22 points, while Two-Way player Labaron Philon Jr. contributed 20 points and 9 rebounds.
Maine's Bench Leads with Scoring
Maine received a large amount of production from its rotation. Dillon Mitchell led the bench unit with 18 points. On assignment from the Boston Celtics, Chris Cenac Jr. posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Milos Uzan neared a triple-double, finishing the night with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. Amari Williams also chipped in 15 points to round out a balanced team scoring effort.
Next Game at Chase Fieldhouse
Maine and Delaware square off again tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Chase Fieldhouse.
