University of Maine
Albany (N.Y.)
Black Bears Fall in Tight Contest with Albany
1/14/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (3-14, 0-4 America East) engaged in a tight contest on Saturday afternoon with Albany. A game that featured 12 lead changes and eight ties eventually was decided in the final eight minutes where the Great Danes were able to extend their lead, taking the league contest 60-48. The Black Bears featured three 10 point scorers as Samantha Baranowski (Stanhope, N.J.) was named Maine's America East Player of the Game as she totaled 10 points and eight rebounds.
Ashleigh Roberts (Wilmington, Del.) also notched 10 points while Kelsey Mattice (Cicero, N.Y.) scored in double-figures for the first time in her career as she netted 10 points and four rebounds.
Julie Forster tallied a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds as she was named Albany's America East Player of the Game. Lindsey Lowrie added 19 points on 7-for-16 shooting.
The first half featured a great battle as the two teams went back and forth, exchanging the lead 10 times with five ties. Maine did a solid job creating pressure down low and driving to the hoop, forcing Albany to foul them as the Black Bears went 11-for-14 from the free throw line in the first half.
Roberts penetrated the lane for the Black Bears, kicking the ball to the opposite block where Danielle Walczak (Lee, N.H.) squared up and knocked down a jumpshot, giving Maine a 9-8 lead midway through the first half. After Albany took a 17-15 lead on a pair of free throws by Cyndra Couch, Mattice sprinted down the floor and netted a jumper to tie things up for a fifth time.
The Great Danes responded with a 9-2 run to take their biggest lead of the half, 26-19, on a three-pointer by Lindsey Lowrie. Maine answered the Albany run with a 4-0 run of its own as the Black Bears cashed on on four-straight free thows, three by Brittany Williams and one by Roberts. Albany hit a jumper on its next possession but Mattice would answer for Maine, hitting a big three off an assist by Corinne Wellington (Rochester, N.Y.) to cut the lead back to a pair. However, Lowrie's three with 16 seconds left regained a five point lead for the Great Danes as they headed to the locker room with a 31-26 lead.
Albany opened up the first half by stretching its lead to eight on a layup by Julie Forster. The Black Bears settled down and responded with their own run, tallying eight unanswered points over the next 1:28 to tie things back up. Baranowski kick started the run with a layup before Wellington pulled down the offensive board and went back up for two points. Courtney Anderson (Greene, Maine) and Wellington each hit a pair from the charity stripe to tie things back up with 15:41 remaining in the second half.
The Great Danes battled back, stretching its lead back to five before the Black Bears answered with a free throw from Baranowski. Anderson then rushed the ball back down the court for Maine, kicking it around the wing to Mattice who hit the three to bring Maine within one. After an Albany free throw, Anderson spotted up and hit a three-pointer of her own to give the Black Bears a 48-47 edge with 8:37 to play. The teams continued to exchange shots as Roberts once again tied things up with a free throw. However, the Great Danes would go on an extended 12-0 run over the final 7:55 to close it out, taking the America East contest 60-48.
Maine has a quick turn around as it will host Vermont on Monday evening at 6 p.m. inside Alfond Arena.
-U-M-
