University of Maine
Hartford
Women's Basketball Falls to Hartford in America East Semifinal
3/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
VESTAL, N.Y. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team's (23-8) America East postseason run came to an end as it was defeated by Hartford, 65-54, in semifinal action on Sunday afternoon. The Black Bears will now await their fate in the Women's National Invitational Tournament as they are guaranteed a spot by winning the America East regular season.
Sophie Weckstrom (Espoo, Finland) led the way for Maine with 13 points with a trio of 3-pointers. Sigi Koizar (Vienna, Austria) added 12 points and nine rebounds while Mikaela Gustafsson (Sodertalje, Sweden) chipped in 10. Liz Wood (Catlett, Va.) finished with 11 rebounds.
Maine struggled to find its mark from the floor all day long as it went just 22-for-72 (30.6%) from the field, including a 7-for-34 showing from 3-point range. Maine finished with 22 second chance points off 21 offensive rebounds but was outscored in the paint 34-24 by the Hawks.
Hartford's Cherelle Moore led its attack with 23 points and 10 rebounds while Amber Bepko added 14 and Morgan Lumb chipped in 11 points with nine boards.
Maine's first half shooting woes were the largest factor in the first half as it shot just 8-for-33 from the floor, including a 3-for-16 mark from 3-point range and trailed 32-22 at the break.
Hartford's Cherelle Moore was a force in the paint in the opening half, going 8-for-10 inside for 16 points to go along with six rebounds.
Maine scored the first two buckets of the contest but Hartford would answer with a 9-0 run and never trail again in the half.
With the Hawks on top by six with 8:45 left in the first half, Maine's offense looked to find itself as the Black Bears pieced together a 6-0 run to knot the score at 17-all on a 3-pointer from Sophie Weckstrom (Espoo, Finland).
However, Maine's offense again went cold as Hartford was able to close the half on a 15-5 run, capped by a layup at the buzzer from Christie Michals to give the Hawks a 32-22 edge at the break.
The Black Bears came out of the break showing more intensity on the offensive end and inside on defense. Anna Heise (Halle, Germany) answered a Hartford 3-pointer with one of her own before great Black Bear ball movement led to a layup from Heise to cut the lead to 39-33.
Trailing 43-35, Maine crashed the offensive glass over a 7-2 run, using offensive put backs from Swan and Weckstrom and a 3-pointer from Heise to cut the lead to three, 45-42. A three off the wing from Weckstrom just a short time later brought the Black Bears within a pair with 7:09 left in regulation.
The Black Bears continued to benefit from strong play off from their offensive rebounding as Mikaela Gustafsson (Sodertalje, Sweden) snatched a rebound on the offensive end and capitalized with a put back to keep Maine within four.
Amber Bepko had the big shot late for the Hawks as her late three built the Hawks' lead back out to seven with just over two minutes remaining.
The Black Bears would not get any closer than six as Hartford capitalized on its foul shooting down the stretch and took the America East semifinal, 65-54.
-U-M-
