If the University of Maine men are are going to secure their first ever NCAA tournament berth, they will need more wins like Sunday’s conference-opener over America East preseason favorite Boston University.

And if the Black Bears are going to emerge victorious from games like their physical affair with the Terriers and, ultimately, their senior-laden league, they will need performances from their seniors like the one Troy Barnies turned in Sunday.

Barnies’ personal 9-2 run helped Maine pull away from a tight game late in the second half of a 65-52 win at Alfond Arena. But it was his persistence and leadership that helped keep the Black Bears in control for the entire contest, even as the senior co-captain was trying to pull himself out of an offensive quagmire.

Coming off a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in a 74-71 loss to Columbia three nights earlier, Barnies got off to a slow start offensively Sunday, missing eight of his first nine shots.

Yet he found other ways to contribute early, rebounding and forcing turnovers while leading Maine’s defensive effort, which limited BU to 22 percent shooting inside the 3-point arc.

The 6-foot-7 former Edward Little star was just doing what he’s been doing all season, according to Maine coach Ted Woodward.

“He’s acting like a senior,” he said.

That pleases Woodward, who looks at an America East replete with senior leaders and understands he’ll need his four seniors, Barnies, co-captain Sean McNally, Terrance Mitchell and Malachi Peay, to compete with them.

He hopes Sunday was a preview of coming attractions. The Black Bears, who led by as much as 17 in the first half, held a 41-38 edge a little more than 12 minutes into the second half when Barnies got the hot hand and took over in the paint.

The first hoop was an off-balance shot underneath the basket with 7:39 remaining. Sean McNally then found him underneath on a high-low pass, where Barnies also drew contact for a three-point play. Barnies’ turnaround jumper in the lane rolled over the front of the rim to make it 48-38 with 6:37 remaining..

BU’s Jeff Pelage broke up the run with an inside hoop, but Barnies answered with another turnaround jumper for a 50-40 lead with 5:20 to go and the Terriers never seriously threatened again.

Barnies admits that in years past, such a dominant second half stretch wouldn’t have taken place in a game where he got off to such a slow start offensively.

“This year is a big difference from past years because of the fact that my confidence is pretty high,” Barnies said. “I feel 100 percent comfortable on the court with my teammates.”

Without that comfort level, Barnies rarely asserted himself as a scorer, and did so even less frequently in the paint. Of course, the Bears also had McNally, of Gardiner, doing most of the damage in the paint.

But McNally, the Bears’ second-leading scorer and top rebounder last year, has been slowed all season by an ankle injury. Barnies didn’t hesitate to fill the void.

“I feel (being more assertive offensively) took a little too long for me in my career,” he said. “But I’m glad it’s happening now because I’ve only got one year left.”

 Now ranked second on the team in scoring (11.6 ppg) and leading the Black Bears in rebounding (7.1 per game), Barnies may be more forceful at the offensive end, but that doesn’t mean he’s forcing things, Woodward said.

 “He’s done it without taking a ton of extra shots,” Woodward said. “He’s just done it with a little extra effort and a little more confidence.”.