In a game that was a rematch of last seasons America East title game in Bangor won by Maine, the Hartford Hawks women’s basketball team ended the Black Bears current four game win streak with a six straight win of their own with a 49-46 win at Chase Arena in West Hartford, Connecticut Wednesday night in a big early season conference tilt.
Hartford (11-7, 4-0 AE) took control early leading 18-11 after one quarter and 28-17 at the half, as the Bears shot 25 percent from the floor in that opening half. Down 13 early in the third quarter, Maine would get back into the game. With the score 30-19, Parise Rossignol made a layup and Dor Saar hit back to back three pointers to pull the visitors within 30-27. Later with the Hawks still up 38-36, Blanca Millan gave Maine their first lead since very early in the first quarter with a three pointer with 1:32 left in the quarter. Lindsey Abed scored in the paint though with three seconds left in the third to give Hartford a 40-39 edge headed to the final 10 minutes.
The Black Bears had a three point lead twice in the final quarter, but couldn’t quite hold on. Sierra Dacosta hit two from the line with 1:11 left to cut it to 46-45. Jade Young scored inside with 28 seconds left to give the Hawks back the lead, and Abed hit two from the line with 10 seconds left to make it a three point game. Saar and Maddy McVicar both had looks at three pointers to tie it on the other end, but came up short.
Saar was the leader for Maine with 13 points. Fanny Wadling posted a big game on the glass with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Millan, the Bears leading scorer, had three fouls in the first half and fouled out late and finished 3-10 from the field for nine points. The visitors still only shot 33 percent from the floor on the night, including 19 percent from three point range (4-21). Abed led Hartford with 16 points and five rebounds, while Ella Awobajo added 13 points and five rebounds.
Maine slips to 11-7 overall and 4-1 in America East play. The Bears travel to Stony Brook to battle the Seawolves Saturday at 2 pm. Maine has not won in that gym in each of the past two seasons.
