BANGOR, Maine -- Sigi Koizar and Laia Sole each tallied 15 points as the University of Maine women's basketball team (5-5) defeated Dartmouth (3-5) by a score of 60-55 on Saturday afternoon.

The Black Bears took care of the ball all day on offense, turning it over just twice in the first half and 10 times total. Maine controlled action inside, holding a 34-27 rebounding advantage and outscoring the Big Green 28-12 in the paint.

Tanesha Sutton pulled down a career-high 10 boards for the Black Bears while Blanca Millan hit four 3-pointers, joining Koizar and Sole in double-figures with 14.

Maine assisted on 17 of its 22 makes and shot 45.8-percent from the floor.

Dartmouth's 3-point shooting kept it in the game as it went 6-for-15 from deep in the first half and finished the game 11-for-26, including seven from the game's high scorer, Andi Norman, who tallied a career-high 26.

The Black Bears worked the ball from inside and outside in the first quarter, racing out to a six point lead on a triple from Millan, 6:40 into the opening stanza.

An 8-0 run from Dartmouth erased the Maine advantage, giving the Big Green a one-point lead, 16-15, with 9:16 left in the half.

Maine's offense regrouped as a 3-pointer by Julie Brosseau started an 18-3 Black Bear run, stretching the lead out to 12 with 28-seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The Black Bears outscored Dartmouth 18-2 in the paint over the opening 20-minutes.

The Big Green cut the lead down to nine just over three minutes into the third but Maine again answered. Another triple from Millan snapped the Dartmouth run before the freshman knocked down another from long-range just over two minutes later as Maine took its largest lead of the game, 46-30.

Dartmouth closed the third period on an 11-2 run, shrinking the Maine lead to just seven heading into the final quarter.

A 3-pointer from Norman and a jumper by Olivia Smith brought the Big Green all the way back within two points with 1:22 to play.

Koizar's senior leadership took over as she drove through a field of defenders, slashing her way to the hoop for a layup with a minute to play. After two free throws from the senior on the next possession, Maine found itself back on top by six.

However, Dartmouth continued to fight. Another triple from Norman, her seventh of the game, again brought the Big Green back to within three. But it would be as close as they would get. Three more free throws by Koizar down the stretch locked in a 60-55 victory for the Black Bears.

Maine is back in action on Dec. 17 when it travels to take on Bryant at 1 p.m.

-UMaine-