The University of Maine men and women’s basketball teams continued their season on the road on Tuesday afternoon. The men’s team went to Boston College to seek their first win in non-league play, while the women tried to keep rolling along as they opened up America East play at Hartford.
At Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and Conte Forum, the Boston College Eagles after a slow start and early four point deficit pulled away from Maine for an 78-62 non-conference men’s basketball win.
BC (2-5) led by 19 at the half and by as many as 24 in the second half, after Maine (0-3) had scored six of the first eight points of the contest. The Eagles put four players in double figures in the victory led by 16 points from Jay Heath. CJ Felder added 14, while both Wynston Tabbs and James Karnick had 10 points. LeChaun DuHart led the Black Bears in the loss with 19 points (5-11 three-pointers). Stephane Ingo was the only other Maine player in double figures with 15 points and six rebounds. Next up for Maine is a two game America East series at UNH on January 2 and 3.
At West Hartford, Connecticut the Maine Black Bears trailed twice in the early moments by two, but then would eventually pull away for an 85-57 women’s basketball win in the America East opener over the Hartford Hawks for their 14th consecutive win dating back to last season.
Blanca Millan, who was 10th nationally with 25.3 points per game entering play, scored 33 points and hauled down 10 rebounds as the Black Bears moved to 4-0 (1-0 AE). Maine would outscore Hartford (0-1, 0-1) 21-8 in the second quarter for a 20 point halftime lead. They would lead by as many as 34 late in the fourth quarter. Dor Saar added 24 points and nine assists, and Anne Simon also joined Millan with a double double scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The visitors shot 48% from the field, and 13-34 from three-point range (38%). Paula Maurina had 12 points and Jordan McLemore had 10 to lead the Hawks in the loss. Saar passed coach Amy Vachon for third all-time on the schools scoring list, and also hit her 200th three-pointer just the third Maine player to ever do that. The two teams meet again Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. to finish off the two game conference series.
