University of Maine
Bryant
Women's Basketball Rallies From Nine Down at the Half to Win 74-66
11/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Four Black Bears scored in double figures to propel Maine (1-1) to a 74-66 second-half comeback win at Bryant (0-3) Friday night. UMaine overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to win their first game of the 2010-11 season.
Ashleigh Roberts (Wilmington, Del./Concord), Amber Smith (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich), Katelyn Vanderhoff (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) and Samantha Wheeler (Derry, N.H./Timberlane Regional) all scored in double figures for UMaine.
Smith doubled her career high from the season opener and scored 22 points in the win. Including the two exhibition games, Smith has now scored in double figures in four straight games. Wheeler added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Roberts and Vanderhoff both scored 12 each.
UMaine shot 53.8% in the second period and outscored the Bulldogs 43-26 in the second half. The Black Bears made over 45% of their shots for the game, while making 77.3% of their free throws to earn the road win.
Maine led three times in the first half and was up 15-14 with 12:37 to play after a Vanderhoff jumper; however, Bryant reeled off a 14-4 run to lead 29-18 with 7:24 remaining.
The Black Bears came roaring back with a run on their own and trailed by just seven with 4:32 to play. Smith cut the lead to five on a jumper with a minute to play. The Bulldogs led 40-31 at the halftime break behind 15 points from Siamone Bennett.
Wheeler led Maine with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Jaymie Druding (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) and Ali Nalivaika (Worcester, Mass./St. Peter Marian) made their first career appearance in the first half. Wheeler scored six of her 11 points in the first 8:07 of the game.
Maine kept with Bryant at the start of the second half, and Vanderhoff drained a three to cut the lead to six, 48-42, with 14 minutes to play. Smith drained her 15th point of the game with 13:15 to play to cut the lead to four. Smith followed that with a jumper on the next possession from right on the three-point line to cut it to 50-48.
Tanna Ross (Newburgh, Maine/Hampden Academy) tied the game, 50-50, for Maine at the 10:50 mark with a jumper. The Black Bears took their first lead of the second half on a Vanderhoff jumper with 5:43 to play. Smith extended Maine's lead to four points, 68-64, with a pair of free throws late in the second half.
The women's basketball team returns home Tuesday to face Central Connecticut State at 7 p.m. in the Alfond.
