University of Maine
UMBC
Women's Basketball Drops 75-55 Decision to UMBC
1/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ORONO, Maine -- Samantha Baranowski (Stanhope, N.J.) tallied a career-high 17 points while Brittany Williams (Rochester, N.Y.) added 15 but it was not enough as Maine fell 75-55 to visiting UMBC at Alfond Arena on Saturday afternoon. The loss slips Maine back to 3-12 and 0-2 in America East action while the Retrievers climb to 8-8 and 2-1 in league play.
Danielle Walczak (Lee, N.H.) recorded a career and game-high 10 rebounds to go along with seven points while Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine) chipped in eight points.
Erin Brown led the UMBC attack with 23 points while fellow senior Michelle Kurowski added 14.
For the second game in a row, the Black Bears started out on fire as Barnowski kicked the ball back outside to Williams who fired up a long three to put Maine up 7-6 just over four minutes into the first half.
An 8-0 run on a pair of three-pointer by Brown gave UMBC a seven point edge before Williams again connected from behind the arc, this time off a feed from Ashleigh Roberts (Wilmington, Del.), to bring Maine back within four with 13:47 to play in the opening half.
Both teams traded hoops for the next four minutes until UMBC broke out another 8-0 run, including a pair of buckets by Tope Obajolu, to take a 15 point edge.
The Retrievers ran their lead to 17 before the Black Bears answered, going on a 6-0 and cutting the deficit to 11 with just 49 seconds remaining in half. Maine's run started when Walczak swung a pass over to Knight who was able to beat her defender and hit a jumper. Maine regained possession a few seconds later as Baranowski was able to work the ball underneath to fellow postmate Walczak who flipped the ball up and off glass for two. Walczak then forced a steal and quickly got the ball outside to Amber Dillon (Jamaica Plain, Mass.). The freshman guard sprinted up the court and finished the fastbreak layup, forcing UMBC to take a timeout just before the halftime break.
Williams shot 4-for-5, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, to pace Maine's first half effort with 10 points while Baranowski added another six points.
Maine continued to work hard to start the second half of play as Baranowski's fastbreak layup off an assist by Courtney Anderson (Greene, Maine) cut the UMBC lead down to 13 just 1:25 into the half. However, the Retrievers answered with a three minute 10-0 to stretch their lead to 22.
The Black Bears kept the fight up but UMBC went on another roll, this time a 9-2 run midway through the second half, to improve its lead to 30 with 8:03 to play in the half.
Maine answered, busting out its biggest run of the game with seven unanswered points to cut the lead down to 23 with 4:18 to play. The Black Bears got four quick points off back-to-back layups by Dillon and Walczak. Baranowski then worked her magic on the block, hitting a nice turn around jumper before knocking down a free throw on Maine's next possession. Baranowski continued her great effort as she laid the ball up and off glass, while drawing a foul. The senior captain completed the three-point play by knocking down the free throw, giving her a career-high 17 points for the game. Williams' three-pointer with 17 seconds left cut the UMBC lead back to 20 but Maine would run out of time, dropping the America East contest 75-55 to the Retrievers.
Baranowski was named Maine's America East Player of the Game while Brown received the honors for UMBC.
The Black Bears take to the road for its next America East conference when they battle Boston University on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.
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