Blanca Millan led four players in double figures Sunday afternoon with 17 points, as the University of Maine Black Bears pulled away for a 67-47 women’s basketball win in a America East semifinal game played at Memorial Gymnasium in Orono.
Maine (17-2) started 1-7 from the floor and got into an early 7-2 and 10-5 deficit. The Black Bears took the lead for good on a three-pointer from Kelly Fogarty at 12-10 and led 14-10 after one. The hosts continued the run to 16-0 and increased that advantage to 21-10 on a Millan layup in the second quarter. Albany responded with eight straight points to cut it to 21-18, but Maine had the final seven for a 28-18 halftime lead. The Bears exploded to outscore the Great Danes 24-13 in the third, extending to a 21 point bulge headed to the fourth quarter. They would lead by as many as 30 in the final period, cruising to the victory and a sixth straight appearance in the America East Championship game. It is also the 11th straight conference postseason win for Maine.
Millan added nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals to her game high point total. Dor Saar and Anne Simon had 13 points a piece, with Saar adding four steals and Simon three rebounds and four assists. Maeve Carroll also got into double figures with 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Maine finished 49% from the floor after a slow start, and hit 11-19 (58%) from the three-point arc. Ellen Hahne had 15 points and four rebounds for Albany in the loss. Kyra Frames added 12 points and five rebounds, and Kayla Cooper had 10 to go along with five rebounds as well. The Great Danes finish their season at 7-11. The Black Bears will face Stony Brook (14-5) on Friday at 5 p.m. for a chance to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The teams split their two regular season meetings on Long Island. The game will be televised live on ESPNU. This would of been the second straight season they would be meeting in a conference final, as the game in 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
