Members of the University of Maine Womens basketball team celebrate a home victory earlier in the 2016-17 season. Maine would face rival Albany Sunday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Center. Photo by Chris Lessner.
BANGOR, Maine- During the first half Sunday afternoon, it looked as though the 17 game home winning streak that Maine held over America East opponents was in danger of coming to an end. But then the second half happened. Maine would outscore visiting Albany 52-28 in the second 20 minutes, to claim an 84-71 win at the Cross Insurance Center in front of 1,618 fans.
Albany shot the ball at a 61 percent clip during the first half, and led by as many as 12 and held an 11 point advantage at halftime 43-32.
Maine came storming out of the locker room and outscored Albany 26-14 in the third quarter to take a 58-57 lead.
With Maine leading 61-59 early in the fourth quarter, Blanca Millan would nail three consecutive three-pointers on three possessions to increase the Black Bear lead to 72-61. Maine would lead by as many as 16 to nail down their 11th win overall (11-11), and improved to 4-3 in America East play. Maine hasn’t lost to a conference opponent at home since January 3, 2015, and is now 40-9 overall in all games played at the Cross Insurance Center.
Millan finished with a career-high 26 points on 9-12 shooting (including 5-8 from three point range). Millan added four steals and three assists. Laia Sole added 21 points (9-15), six rebounds, and six assists. Sigi Koizar filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Maine shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half and 54 percent overall. “I was just so proud of the girls and the way they came out in the second half. We talked at halftime, defensively that first half was just not us. We gave up 43 points, and only gave up 50 in the whole game at UNH the other night. We weren’t focused in on what we were supposed to be doing. Give credit to the players they came out in that third quarter with Sigis help side and steal, and we just kept going from there. When our defense is clicking it makes it easier on the offensive end”, said Maine associate coach Amy Vachon.
Albany (9-10, 3-3 AE) was led by Imani Tate who had 32 points, eight rebounds, and two steals. Jessica Fequiere added 14 points and five rebounds. Albany ended up at 47 percent from the floor in the game, shooting just 33 percent in the second half. “That was just a frustrating second half for us. I think our intensity faltered on the defensive end. Rebounding wise, we just didn’t crash and didn’t do some of the same things we did in the first half”, said Albany head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee.
Maine returns to action Saturday when they travel to Binghamton at 2 p.m. Albany returns home to host Vermont at 12 noon on Thursday.
ALB (9-10, 3-3) 21 22 14 14- 71
UME (11-11, 4-3) 16 16 26 26- 84
