Anne Simon hit two free throws with 4.5 seconds left on Sunday afternoon, giving the Maine Black Bears their second consecutive win with a 59-57 victory over Boston University in women’s non-conference basketball at Case Gymnasium in Boston, Massachusetts.
Boston University (2-2) led most of the first half and had as much as an eight point advantage. Maine held a pair of one point leads in the first quarter, but it was the Terriers up 28-22 at the halftime break. The Black Bears took their first lead since the first when Simon hit a three-pointer and converted a layup on a fast break, and Maeve Carroll also got an easy layup on another fast break for a 7-0 spurt to begin the second half. The guests took as much as a five point lead in the period, and freshman Bailey Wilborn came up big again as she did in Fridays win at Yale with a pair of three-pointers as Maine led 41-38 headed to the fourth quarter. A three-pointer by Alba Sirois with 1:46 left had them up 56-53, before two layups in the paint by BU forward Riley Childs put the hosts up 57-56 with 34 seconds remaining. Carroll tied it with a 1-2 effort at the free throw line with 8.2 seconds showing on the clock, and BU called timeout to try to set up a final play. A turnover by Emily Esposito though on the inbounds pass was taken by Carroll who was fouled. The Terriers then mistakenly fouled Simon a few seconds later to put the Black Bears in the bonus, and the third year guard hit both. In their final opportunity in the closing seconds, Esposito missed a three-pointer and Childs got the rebound but didn’t have time to put up another shot as Maine improved to 2-3.
Simon finished with a game high 26 points, three rebounds, three assists, and four steals on 11-21 shooting in the win. Carroll had 13 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Wilborn had four three-pointers and finished with 12 points. Sydney Johnson had 12 points, while Liz Shean and Childs had 11 each, and Caitlin Weimar had 10 for Boston University. Childs added 11 rebounds. Next up for Maine is another trip to face a Patriot League team in Army on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.
