University of Maine
Albany (N.Y.)
Women's Basketball Takes Down UAlbany, 65-53
2/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BANGOR, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team picked up its 18th-straight win at home after handing UAlbany its first America East defeat of the season by a score of 65-53.
Maine, which held its ninth-straight opponent to under 60 points, was led by Sigi Koizar's 15 points, four rebounds and four assists. Lauren Bodine and Liz Wood each hit four 3-pointers and both finished with 14 points in the Black Bears' 12th league win of the year. Sophie Weckstrom chipped in six points and a career-high seven assists.
The Black Bears were hot from outside, finishing with a season-high 13 makes from 3-point range and a 56.5 percent mark from long range. The offensive ball movement was once again clicking for Maine which assisted on 22 of its 26 field goals. The Black Bears led the contest for a total of 33:46 in a game which saw just one lead change.
The Black Bears, who only scored six points in the first quarter in their previous meeting at Albany, came out hot, continuing a recent trend of fast starts. Maine's lead reached four with 6:13 gone in the first quarter on Koizar's first of three triples. Jumpers from Bella Swan and Mikaela Gustafsson closed the first quarter with Maine leading 14-10.
Maine took its largest lead of the first half on Gustafsson's jumper 15-seconds in to the second quarter.
Albany closed the gap back to one midway through the second quarter on back-to-back- jumpers from Zakiya Saunders and Imani Tate.
Maine rebounded with a 3-pointer by Bodine and regained its six-point edge on another triple by Bodine with 1:14 to play in the half.
A late bucket by UAlbany sent Maine into the half leading by four, 34-30.
The Great Danes tied the game for a fourth time on a three from Saunders, 2:06 into the second half.
A layup by Gustafsson preceeded another three from Koizar, stretching Maine's lead back out to five.
Albany tightened the advantage back to one before the Black Bears staged a 10-0 run, capped on a big three from Weckstrom, to send Maine's advantage to double-digits, 51-41.
With Maine leading by 11 early in the fourth, UAlbany began a comeback, putting together a 6-0 sprint to close the gap to five with 4:54 to play.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Wood ended the threat, stretching Maine's lead back out to 11.
The game would not get any closer than seven the rest of the way as Maine handed UAlbany its first conference loss, 65-53.
Maine continues America East play on Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. at Stony Brook on ESPN3.
-UMaine-
