Amanda Torres hit a pair of free throws with 8.1 seconds remaining on Saturday afternoon, providing the difference as the New Hampshire Wildcats upset the Maine Black Bears 58-57 in women’s America East basketball in Durham, NH.
Both teams had a really tough shooting day, and Maine (5-1, 2-1 America East) didn’t score until almost four minutes in. UNH (2-6, 2-3) led most of the first quarter and 15-12 after the first 10 minutes. The Black Bears took their first lead since early on in the game when Anne Simon knocked in a three-pointer for a 22-20 advantage with 5:33 left in the first half. Maine held a 29-27 lead at halftime. The visitors took a five point lead early in the third, but the hosts bounced back to take a 42-39 lead heading for the fourth quarter. Three-pointers from Simon and Kelly Fogarty gave the lead back to the Black Bears 48-46, and they then had their biggest lead at six when Fogarty knocked in another from behind the arc with 1:48 to play. That though was the last points of the day for Maine. Torres nailed a jumper and Brooke Kane hit a three to cut it to 57-56. Blanca Millan had a chance to put the game away with a three-pointer with just under 10 seconds to go, but would miss and Simon would foul Torres in the rebounding action where she went to the line and sunk both. After a timeout, Millan was tied up for a jump ball but the possession arrow gave it back to Maine with 1.8 seconds left after another timeout. Simons inbounds pass though was deflected and stolen by Paige Cote to seal the Wildcats win. The loss ends the fourth longest winning streak (tied with UConn) in the country at 15 games, their first defeat since a 20 point home loss to UMBC on January 26 of last season.
Millan led the way in the Maine loss with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Simon added 15 points and eight rebounds. Fogarty finished with nine points, and Dor Saar also had six points and seven assists. Maeve Carroll returned to game action for the first time this season and had five points, eight rebounds, and two steals in 17 minutes. Torres had 19 points and six rebounds to lead UNH in the win. Kane was the only other Wildcat in double digits with 12 points and seven rebounds. UNH shot just 32%, while Maine shot 30% in the game. The Black Bears loss also snaps a 10 game road win streak, and a nine game win streak against the Wildcats who hadn’t beaten them in four seasons. The teams play game two of the conference series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
