At the FDU Christmas Classic in Hackensack, New Jersey- The host Fairleigh Dickinson Knights used first half runs of 16-0 and 14-0, and pulled away from the Maine Black Bears 66-48 in a non-conference women’s basketball matchup at the Bogota Savings Bank Center.
Maine (4-8) took their only lead on a three-pointer by Asta Blauenfeldt and a jumper by Caroline Bornemann at 5-1 just over three minutes into the first quarter. The Black Bears would then go scoreless over the next 7:09 stretching into the second period. Fairleigh Dickinson put in the next 16 points unanswered to take a 17-5 advantage after the opening 10 minutes, going ahead for good on a three-pointer by Abaigeal Babore. The Black Bears cut it to five at 17-12 with a 7-0 run of their own to start the second quarter, with five of those coming from sophomore Caroline Dotsey on a three-pointer and a layup off a fastbreak. The Knights responded to that with a 14-0 spurt to take their biggest lead of the first half 31-12. FDU would go up as many as 24 in the third, and Maine never got closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Blauenfeldt led Maine in the loss with 19 points (3-3 three-pointers), while Dotsey finished with 18 points along with four rebounds. The Black Bears shot just 7-23 (30.4%) from the floor in the first half, and finished at 36.7% (18-49). Ava Renninger led Fairleigh Dickinson with 14 points and five rebounds, while Teneisia Brown recored a double double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Babore also got into double figures with 11 points, as the Knights out of the Northeast Conference improved their overall record to 9-3. Maine stays in Hackensack, NJ for their final non-conference game of the season when they take on Coppin State out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Eagles (9-6) won the other game on Saturday 69-52 over Bryant. Fairleigh Dickinson will take on the Bulldogs of Bryant in the final contest of the Christmas Classic at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
