BANGOR, Maine -- Laia Sole and Tanesha Sutton each tallied their first double-doubles as the University of Maine women's basketball team (12-12, 5-4 America East) defeated Vermont (6-15, 3-6 AE) at the Cross Insurance Center on Wednesday evening.

The Black Bears held their third opponent of the year to single-digits in multiple quarters as the Catamounts tallied eight points in the first and just five in the fourth. Vermont was dismal from 3-point range, shooting just 9.5-percent (2-for-21) from beyond the arc.

Maine, which improved to 7-1 at home and 41-9 all-time at the Cross Insurance Center, finished with its second-highest rebounding total (48) of the year.

Individually, the Black Bears were led by three scorers in double-figures. Sole who notched her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sutton also recorded the first double-double of her career with 10 points and a career-high 13 boards. Sigi Koizar also finished in double-digits with 13 points and became just the seventh Black Bear in history to record 1,500 points.

The offense slowed to develop for both sides as a jumper from Sutton gave the Black Bears an 11-8 edge after one quarter.

Both sides began to click in the second. Maine, which went 7-for-14 in the quarter, ran its lead to six on back-to-back buckets from Sutton and Sheraton Jones.

Maine grabbed its largest lead of the half when Sole pulled down a board on the defensive end before racing up court and eventually finishing off an assist from Naira Caceres, putting the Black Bears up nine with 4:10 remaining.

Maine carried a nine point edge into the break after Maddy McVicar raced down court, converting on a tough fastbreak layup while drawing a foul. With the made free throw, the Black Bears' lead would be 32-23 at the half.

After outscoring Vermont 21-15 in the second quarter, Maine against bested the Catamounts by a 21-15 edge in the third. Three-pointers from Koizar and Sutton opened the half as part of a 12-2 run which ended with triples from Koizar and Millan. The early second half surge gave Maine its largest lead of the game, 44-25.

Vermont continued to fight, bringing the lead back down to single digits at 47-38 with 1:53 left in the third.

However, McVicar and Brosseau each stuck 3-pointers to lift Maine's lead back to 15 entering the fourth.

Neither team could find the offense in the fourth as the Catamounts went 2-for-18 from the field, 1-for-11 from 3-point range, in the final quarter. The Black Bears cruised, taking a 59-43 victory to avenge an earlier conference loss at Vermont.

Maine is back in America East action on Saturday, Feb. 4 when it travels to meet UMBC at 1 p.m.

-UMaine-