University of Maine
UMBC
Swan's Career-High Leads Maine Women's Basketball Past UMBC
1/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BANGOR, Maine -- Bella Swan poured in a career-high 16 points to lead four Maine double-figure scorers in a 65-55 victory over UMBC on Saturday afternoon. The win, Maine's 12th-straight at Cross Insurance Center, moved the Black Bears to 2-0 in America East action.
Liz Wood recorded the 21st double-double of her career with 10 points and matched a career-high with 15 boards. Lauren Bodine tallied a season-high 12 points while Sigi Koizar finished with 10; her 15th time in double-digits this season.
The Black Bears, who won their fifth in a row against UMBC, hit 14-of-18 from the free throw line and went 22-for-61 (36.1%) from the floor and 7-for-26 from 3-point range (26.9%). Maine held the rebounding advantage, 41-33, pulling down 40+ rebounds in its second-straight contest.
Maine was slow to start, falling behind by nine just six minutes into the ball game. The Black Bears closed the first quarter on back-to-back 3-pointers by Koizar and began the second with a layup by Mikaela Gustafsson, completing an 8-0 run to bring them back within a point. The second of Koizar's triples put her over 900 points for her career.
After falling behind by six with 5:11 remaining in the half, Maine began to pick up its defensive pressure. The Black Bears forced five turnovers which turned into a 14-0 run, including seven-straight by Swan. Maine would lead 26-20 heading into the break.
The Black Bears built their lead to double-figures, 34-24, early in the third quarter on a pair of 3-pointers by Sophie Weckstrom.
The lead shrunk to six midway through the third but Maine responded, doubling the lead up to 12 on Bodine's trey with just two-seconds left in the third.
An early jumper in the fourth from Gustafsson gave the Black Bears their largest lead, 49-35, with 8:28 remaining.
UMBC refused to go quietly, staging a 14-6 run over the next six minutes and chipping the lead back down to six.
However, the game would not get any closer as Maine wrapped up its second America East victory of the season, 65-55.
The Black Bears are back in action at Cross Insurance Center on Wednesday, Jan. 13 when they host UMass Lowell at 7 p.m.
-UMaine-
