Tanesha Sutton (23) waits for a ball to come off the rim after a missed shot in a game earlier this year against Duke. Photo by Anthony Delmonaco.
The Maine women’s basketball team got a great performance from senior Tanesha Sutton on Wednesday night. Sutton matched a career high with 27 points, as the Black Bears moved to 3-0 in America East for the first time since 2004 with a 63-51 win over Vermont at Patrick Gym in Burlington, Vermont.
Maine (10-6, 3-0 AE) trailed early in this one, down 9-6 in the first quarter. The Bears though closed the first on a 10-2 run, then ran off seven straight points to begin the second to take a 23-11 lead. Vermont responded with an 11-0 run to get back into the game, and had tied it at 27-27, before a three pointer from Blanca Millan had Maine up 30-27 at the half.
The third quarter saw Maine lead by as many as seven, but the Catamounts stayed right in it down just 43-41 at the end of three. Vermont (5-10, 1-2) pushed back into the lead when Hanna Cymble scored in the paint with 4:47 left to play to make it 49-47 Catamounts. Maine took over the final 4:47 however. Back to back baskets by Sutton regained the lead for the Bears 51-49. That was followed up by three pointers from Dor Saar and Parise Rossignol, and also a 4-4 effort from the line by Rossignol and Sutton as Maine ended the game on a 16-2 run to pull away for the win.
Sutton was 11-16 from the floor, and also grabbed five rebounds to add to her game high point total. Millan added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Rossignol chipped in 11 points and six rebounds. Maine only committed three turnovers, and also shot 12-13 from the foul line. Vermont was led by Cymble who had 14 points and seven rebounds. Josie Larkin added 13 points. Maine returns home to host Albany Saturday at 1 pm at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
In Bangor at the Cross Insurance Center, a very balanced scoring effort allowed the Vermont Catamounts to roll to a 73-49 win over Maine in America East men’s basketball.
Vermont (12-4, 2-0 AE) put nine players in the scorebook and built a 35-18 halftime lead in the road win over the Bears. Maine (2-15, 0-2) got within 15-12 in the first half on a three pointer by Isaiah White, but the Catamounts closed the first half on a 20-6 run to extend to that 17 point halftime advantage. The hosts never got closer than 15 the rest of the way, while Vermont led by as many as 32 in the second half.
Robin Duncan and Anthony Lamb had 11 points a piece to pace Vermont. Sergio El Darwich led Maine with 16 points and eight rebounds. White had 10 and added five rebounds. The Catamounts shot nearly 55 percent from the floor, while the Bears were 33 percent including a 22 percent clip in first half (7-32). Maine is on the road at Albany Saturday at 1 pm.
