University of Maine
Boston U.
Hot Second Half Shooting Propels Boston U. Past Maine
1/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BOSTON – Boston U. (4-9, 1-0) shot 62.1% for the second half to propel them to a 78-40 win over the Maine women's basketball team (2-11, 0-1) in the America East opener. Ashleigh Roberts (Wilmington, Del./Concord), led the Black Bears with 12 points and scored in double-figures for the fifth straight time. Roberts, the America East Player of the Game for UMaine, went 8 for 9 from the free-throw line and pulled down four boards.
Katelyn Vanderhoff (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) was second on the team with nine points in 37 minutes. Amber Smith (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) and Tanna Ross (Newburgh, Maine/Hampden Academy) added eight points each.
Four players scored in double figures for Boston U. They were led by Chantell Alford's 22 points. Kery Cashman added 12 points and seven boards, while Caroline Stewart tallied 8 rebounds. Maine held the America East's leading scorer, Alex Young, under her average of 14.8 points per game. She scored 12 points, while Mo Moran added 10 more.
The Black Bears tallied 32 rebounds to the Terriers 36 despite not having a player record more than four boards. Roberts led Maine on the glass with four rebounds, while four other players tallied three rebounds.
Boston U. took advantage of Maine's first-half turnovers and scored 15 points off of them to lead 33-19 at the break. Chantell Alford led all scorers with 9 points, while Ross led Maine with eight points and three rebounds. The Terriers out-rebounded the Black Bears 21-16 behind Caroline Stewart's seven boards.
Maine kept the game close for much of the first half as both teams exhibited a strong defensive effort. Both teams shot below 40% and the Black Bears forced the Terriers to take 16 three pointers, of which they made only four baskets. Maine held an opponent to below 40% shooting in the first half for the eighth time this season. UMaine also held the league's top scorer, Alex Young, to six points on 2 for 8 shooting in the first period.
Boston U. opened the second half on an 18-0 run and led 51-19 before Maine was able to make its first basket of the half on a layup by Vanderhoff with 14:06 to play. The Terriers were aided by turnover-free play in the first 9 minutes of the half. BU finished the second half shooting 62.1% from the floor and made 18 of their 30 field goals in the period.
The Black Bears travel to Hartford Wednesday before returning home for a noon contest against UMBC Sunday.
