University of Maine
New Hampshire
Women's Basketball Makes it Seven-Straight with Victory over New Hampshire
1/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BANGOR, Maine - Liz Wood (Catlett, Va.) poured in a game-high 24 points as the Black Bears made a statement during rivalry week, defeating New Hampshire, 87-56 at the Cross Insurance Center Thursday night. The win makes seven-straight for the Black Bears as the squad improves to 15-6 and 7-1 in conference play. The Wildcats, who were locked in a tie with the Maine in conference, fell to 14-6 overall and 6-2 in America East play.
Wood's 24 led the way but it was a good day for many Black Bears as three other players hit double-figures. Sigi Koizar (Vienna, Austria) chipped in 18 points, while Anna Heise (Halle, Germany) scored 17 and Sophie Weckstrom (Espoo, Finland) recorded 12.
For the Wildcats, Maine resident Kristen Anderson tallied 14 points along with teammate Elizabeth Belanger. Madison Lopez also reached double-figures scoring 12.
Maine showed the ability to hit from just about anywhere on the court as the Black Bears shot 60 percent from the field hitting on 31-of-51. Maine was just as deadly from long range nearly mirroring the 60 percent mark connecting on 12-of-21 (57 percent) and tallying its highest point total of the season.
Maine also won the battle of the glass taking down 30 boards to New Hampshire's 22.
Maine took early lead on a 3-point play as Wood found Bella Swan in the paint, drew the foul and hit the free throw to make it 5-2 with 18:22 left in the half.
That play sparked what turned into a 15-4 run and forced a UNH timeout at the 15:02 mark. During the run, Koizar and Wood combined for nine points.
Following what appeared to be a turnover for Maine, Heise tracked down an errant pass and saved a possession that ended up with a wide open Wood layup to make it 25-13 with 9:58 left in the half.
Maine kept the offense coming as Courtney Anderson (Greene, Maine) lobbed a pass into Mikaela Gustafsson at the 7:24 mark of the half and the Sodertalje, Sweden native connected on a layup to make it 27-16.
Koizar made it an 11 point lead as she shredded the UNH defense, dashing into the paint and laying in her second bucket of the game to make it 29-18 with just over 5:00 remaining in the half.
Koizar gave Maine its largest lead of the half with a deep trey with :59 seconds remaining, giving the Black Bears a 17 point lead, 39-22 and Maine closed out the half up 40-24.
The Black Bears offense showed the same fire to open the second half, going on a 18-9 run, capped by a Heise trey. The long-distance bucket forced a UNH timeout with 14:04 left in the half.
Maine pushed that lead to a 26-point lead as Chantel Charles found a streaking Heise in the paint as she recorded her sixth bucket of the contest and made it 65-39.
Maine's lead hovered around 20 points through much of the second half as Anderson got the game out to a 26-point advantage, 75-49 with 7:40 remaining.
Despite the large lead, Maine didn't relent as Weckstrom bombed a long-range trey to make it 83-54, with 4:37 minutes remaining in the half.
Gustafsson gave Maine its largest lead of the game in the waning moments of the half as she hit a pair of free throws to make it 87-54 with 1:53 in the left in the game.
Maine closed out the contest with an 87-56 win, outscoring the Wildcats 47-32 in the final frame.
This win sets up a clash of America East favorites as Maine heads to Albany, N.Y. for a battle with the top seeded Great Danes on Sunday. That game is slated for 1 p.m.
-U-M-
