Red Claws lose their way again in Erie

[truebluefan]

The trend continues for Maine: Win at home; lose on the road.

The Red Claws are now 2-8 away from the Portland Expo after losing to the Erie BayHawks 116-97 on Sunday before 2,094 fans at Tullio Arena.

"At home, we play like we're the best team in the league," said Red Claws guard Jamar Smith. "But when we get on the road and have a little (adversity), we take a step back instead of putting our foot on the throttle and trying to play harder."

Avenging a 120-107 loss in Portland on Dec. 30, the BayHawks are 3-0 against the Red Claws (9-11) in Erie. The BayHawks have won those games by an average margin of 28 points.

"I tell you one thing, that's a very good team they have now," Maine Coach Austin Ainge said.

In its 13-point win against Erie, Maine was 14 of 26 from 3-point range. On Sunday, it went 9 of 30.

"We picked up the defense," said forward Ivan Johnson, who led Erie with 25 points. "That's all it was."

Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/sports/red-claws-lose-their-way-again-in-erie_2011-01-10.html