Liz Wood, shown here in an earlier game this season, helped Maine stay undefeated at home on Sunday afternoon. Photo courtesy of Black Bear athletics.
BANGOR- Liz Wood had 20 points and 7 rebounds and the Maine Black Bears women’s basketball team forced Stony Brook into 20 turnovers on Sunday afternoon, leading Maine to a hard fought 55-52 America East victory in front of 2,123 fans at the Cross Insurance Center.
Wood finished 8-12 from the floor and 3-5 from the three point arc while also adding 3 assists and 4 steals. Lauren Bodine also chipped with 10 points and Bella Swan had 9 and also 8 rebounds. The Maine defense was able to convert the turnovers into a 21-8 scoring advantage to help pull out their 14th win of the year and stay undefeated at home.
Stony Brook held a five point lead twice in the first half but both times the Black Bears bounced back. Maine rallied to tie it at 16 after the opening quarter and after falling down 30-25 late in the second Maine pulled to within 30-29 at halftime.
Maine put together a 12-5 late in the third quarter, helped by two huge three point shots from Bodine to build the lead to 6 headed to the final period.
Maine would stretch the lead to as many as 10 in the fourth before a 9-1 SeaWolves run cut the lead down to only 2. A Swan layup would push the lead back to 5 for Maine with just over 2 minutes to play. Stony Brook cut the lead down just 1 in the final 30 seconds before Bodine hit a pair of clutch free throws to increase the lead to 3. Christa Scognamiglio had a chance to tie it for Stony Brook in the closing seconds but her three point shot bounced off the rim wide and fell out of bounds as time expired.
Stony Brook, now 13-7 overall and 5-2 in America East and losers of two straight conference games, they were led by Scognamiglio who had 16 points and 7 rebounds. The Seawolves will now return home to face Vermont next Saturday at 2 p.m.
Maine, now in sole possession of second place in America East, improves to 14-7 overall and 5-1 in the conference. Maine will host Hartford on Wednesday with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
SBROOK 16 14 7 15- 52
UMAINE 16 13 14 12- 55
3 pt goals: Stony Brook- Scognamiglio 4, Hanlon, Wingate. Maine- Wood 3, Bodine 2, Koizar
Foul shots: Stony Brook 10-18 55.6% Maine 11-14 78.6%
