BURLINGTON, Vt. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (7-9, 0-1 America East) dropped its conference opener at Vermont (4-9, 1-0 AE) by a score of 55-52 on Wednesday evening.

Laia Sole led Maine with a new career-high 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting to go along with five rebounds. Fellow freshman Julie Brosseau also recorded a career-high point scoring effort as she knocked down five 3-pointers for 15 points. Blanca Millan added nine points and eight boards as the Black Bears received all of their scoring from their freshman class.

Team stats were even across the board in most categories as Maine finished the game at 38.0-percent from the floor to Vermont's 37.0. The Black Bears were 6-for-18 from 3-point range while Vermont knocked down five of its 13 attempts. Vermont did hold an advantage at the free throw line where it hit 16-of-29 while the Black Bears were 8-for-14.

Maine used an 8-0 run, fueled by four points from Millan, to race out to an early 10-point advantage with four minutes left in the first quarter.

Vermont closed the first quarter on a 5-0 run before outscoring Maine 15-3 in the second quarter. A three-pointer from Vermont's Hayley Robertson gave the Catamounts a 15-13 lead with 7:11 to play in the half. Sole's 3-pointer with just over four minutes left in the quarter ended an 11-0 Vermont run but the Black Bears would not score again in the half as the Catamount's carried a 23-16 lead into the break.

Vermont kept the pressure on early in the third, taking its largest lead at 31-20 with 5:39 to play in the quarter.

Maine began its comeback when a pair of free throws from Fanny Wadling preceded a bucket from Millan. However, Vermont would rebuild a 10-point edge before the Black Bears again answered. A free throw from Sole and a triple by Brosseau cut the lead to six. A late bucket in the quarter from Vermont gave it a 38-30 edge heading into the final stretch.

The Black Bears would not fold. Another three from Brosseau and old-fashioned 3-pointer play by Sole cut the lead to a pair just 1:15 into the final quarter.

Maine kept charging and, after free throws from Millan and Sole, found itself tied with Vermont, 40-40, with 6:34 to play.

Vermont reeled off the next four pointers as a big 3-pointer by Kylie Butler regained a four-point edge for the Catamounts.

The lead remained at four late before Brosseau stroked her fifth 3-pointer of the contest, cutting the lead to just one with 29-seconds to play.

Clutch free throw shooting by the Catamounts put them back up by two. Maine pushed the floor and set up its offense where Brosseau's 3-point attempt for the lead from the top of the key came up short.

Vermont tacked on another free throw to put it up three. Sole's late chance to tie it from beyond the arc missed the mark as Vermont escaped with the 55-52 victory.

Maine returns to the Cross Insurance Center on Saturday when it hosts UMBC at noon. For tickets, please visit the Cross Insurance Center box office or order online here.

-UMaine-