Women's Basketball Falls at North Carolina on Last-Second 3-Pointer
12/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team fought all the way back from down 15 at North Carolina to take a two-point lead with 4-seconds remaining. However, a buzzer beating game-winning three from North Carolina's Stephanie Watts gave the Tar Heels a 59-58 victory on Friday afternoon.
Sigi Koizar led all scorers with 21 points and was brilliant down the stretch, scoring all eight of Maine's final points. For Koizar, it was her fifth 20+ scoring performance of the year and the 13th double-digit showing of the year for the junior guard. Sophie Weckstrom knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers for 18 points while Mikaela Gustafsson recorded her first career double-double on 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Black Bears held North Carolina to its lowest point total of the year after forcing 14 Tar Heel turnovers. Maine finished the game 20-for-58 (34%) from the floor and 10-for-26 from 3-point range (38%) while knocking down 8-of-10 from the free throw stripe.
Maine's offense was slow to find its pace as it went cold from the floor early on and fell behind 25-10 with 4:23 to play in the second quarter.
However, the Black Bears found their stride in the form of a 15-8 run beginning with one of Weckstrom's six 3-pointers.
Maine cut the lead down to 12 before closing the half on a 6-0 run, featuring back-to-back 3-pointers by Liz Wood and Weckstrom. The Black Bears would trail 31-25 at the half.
North Carolina began the second half with a 12-5 run, extending its lead out to 13 with 4:29 left in the third quarter.
From that point, Maine started its comeback, closing the quarter with three from Koizar to bring it within 10.
The Black Bears' rally continued, eventually turning into a 15-4 run. Weckstrom began the fourth with a trey and would hit two more on the run, her last giving the Black Bears a one point edge with 3:29 to play.
The teams traded the lead three more times down the stretch. After a 3-pointer from Watts knotted the game at 56-all, Koizar took control, driving hard to the hoop for a pair to put Maine back on top 58-56 with four-seconds left.
With two-seconds on the clock and the ball on its own baseline, the Tar Heels sent a pass out to Xylina McDaniel who quickly one touched it to Watts in the corner. Watts knocked down the 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Tar Heels a 59-58 victory.
Maine opens America East league play on Jan. 6 when it travels to take on Vermont at 7 p.m.
-UMaine-
