BANGOR- The University of Maine Womens basketball team held visiting University of Maryland-Baltimore County to just 23 percent shooting and outscored them 46-22 in the second half, to earn a 72-40 America East Conference win at the Cross Insurance Center Saturday afternoon in front of 1,673 fans.
Maine (8-9, 1-1 AE) was able to use a 6-0 run in the opening quarter to take a 10-4 lead. A late three pointer to end the first by Blanca Millan had Maine up 15-8 at the end of the opening 10 minutes.
A Julie Brousseau steal and layup five minutes into the second quarter gave Maine their biggest first half lead at 21-12. The Bears held a 26-18 halftime advantage.
Maine came storming out in the second half, using a 14-1 run to break the game open at 40-19. A pair of three point baskets from Millan, one by Tanesha Sutton, and an unconventional three point play by Naira Caceres was included in the run. The Bears led by as many as 31 in the period. Maine outscored the Retrievers 25-11 in the quarter, and led by 22 headed for the fourth.
Maine increased the lead back to 31 with a 9-0 run to start the fourth and allowed them to break their four game losing streak, and break into the win column in conference play. Maine was without Sigi Koizar for a second straight game (thigh/knee injury).
UMBC (5-10, 0-2 AE) was led by Lucrezia Costa who had 12 points. Taylor McCarley added 10 points. The Retrievers were just 14-60 from the floor (23.3%), 2-16 from three point range, and 10-20 from the foul line. “Obviously Maine played very well today. Playing without their best player and playing at home, sure they were motivated to play well, and they certainly did that today”, said UMBC head coach Phil Stern. “I thought they did a good job. Usually we pass, and cut, and do some good things. Obviously they are a long team, they did a good job of getting up on us and pressuring us and making us start our offense a little higher. I thought they played really well defensively”, added Stern.
Millan led Maine with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Millan hit 5-8 from the three point line, and also held UMBC high scorer McCarley to just 3-13 shooting. Brousseau had 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Anita Kelava scored just two points, but did have eight rebounds, six assists, and five blocked shots. Maine had 21 assists as a team on 26 baskets. The Bears shot 44 percent from the floor, 9-19 from the three point arc, and made 11-15 from the foul line.
“I was just very proud of the team and they way they played today. They played together the whole game and were really focused in on our game plan”, said Maine coach Amy Vachon, who coached her first game in the absence of Richard Barron who is out on medical leave. “It’s definitely emotional. Nobody is gonna deny that. I think this game is a reflection of Coach Barron. Yes I am here, and he’s not. But he has been doing this for six years. So yes it is emotional, but they were excited to be home, to be together, and to play in front of a great crowd”, added Vachon.
Maine returns to action Wednesday when they travel to UMass-Lowell for a 7 p.m. tip. UMBC returns home to play Hartford Wednesday night at 7.
UMBC (5-10, 0-2) 8 10 11 11- 40
MAINE (8-9, 1-1) 15 11 25 21- 72
