Caroline Bornemann led four players in double figures with 17 points Wednesday night, leading the Maine Black Bears to their eighth consecutive win 71-56 over the Hartford Hawks in America East women’s basketball action at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Hartford (2-22, 2-12 America East) played strong early on. The Hawks had the lead on five different occasions in the first quarter, and the game was tied 17-17 after the opening 10 minutes. Maine took the lead for good on a Alba Orois layup with 6:23 left in the first half at 23-21. The Black Bears led by as many as eight in the period and 31-24 at the halftime break. A three-pointer by Abby Streeter pulled the visitors within two early in the third quarter, but that is as close as they’d get. Maine led 49-41 headed to the fourth. With the Hawks hanging around at 55-45 with still 6:40 left to play, the hosts put it away helped by a trio of three-pointers by Bornemann to stretch it to the biggest lead of 20 with three minutes remaining.
Bornemann hit 5-9 from the three-point arc, and also added three rebounds and three steals in the win for Maine. Orois had 15 points and 11 assists, Anne Simon 12 points and six rebounds, and Maeve Caroll had another double double with 10 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. Paula Maurina led Hartford with 18 points and seven rebounds. Maine is now 14-10, 11-3 in America East and will try to avenge an early season home loss when they travel to NJIT to battle the Highlanders on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
