Durham, N.H. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team went into Lundholm Gymnasium and handed the America East preseason favorite New Hampshire its first home loss of the season, 56-46, on Wednesday evening. The win, Maine's third in a row, lifts the Black Bears to 12-8 overall and 5-2 in league play.

Blanca Millan posted her 19th consecutive double-figure performance, leading Maine in scoring for the 10th-straight game with 16 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Millan was joined in double-figures but Tanesha Sutton (15) and Fanny Wadling who posted her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.

Maine finished the contest 22-of-51 from the floor (43.1) and 9-for-12 from the free throw stripe. Maine won the turnover battle, 18-10, and have now turned the ball over just 23 times in its last three outings, averaging a slim 7.7 turnovers over its last three games.

The Black Bears put the game away after they outscored New Hampshire 11-1 over the final 6:19, holding the Wildcats to an 0-for-6 showing from the field while forcing five turnovers during the final stretch.

Maine's defense, which has now forced 15 or more turnovers in 17 of its last 18 outings, was impressive in the opening half. The Black Bears forced 11 turnovers over the first 20-minutes of action, helping them to a 31-26 advantage at the break.
 
Sutton's layup with 5:54 left in the first quarter ignited an 11-2 UMaine run. Wadling banked in a 3-pointer, her seventh points of the period, before a pair of buckets by Sutton and back-to-back hoops from Millan lifted the Black Bears to a 17-8 lead late in the quarter.
 
New Hampshire rallied early in the second period, cutting the lead down to a pair. Maine had the answer, reeling off nine unanswered to take a 30-19 lead on Wadling's 10^th point of the evening.
 
The Wildcats ended the half on a 7-1 run as Maine carried a 31-26 edge into the break.
 
Sutton and Millan each tallied 10 first half points to lead the way for Maine.
 
Maine was strong out of the halftime break, starting the third on a 5-0 run and extending its lead to 10 on a triple by Julie Brosseau.
 
The Black Bears continued their charge in the third as an elbow jumper by Dor Saar helped guide Maine to its largest lead of the night, 42-31.
 
New Hampshire would end the third on an 8-1 run, holding the Black Bears without a field goal over the final 4:36 while closing the gap to four, 43-39.
 
The Wildcat run continued into the fourth, stretching to a 12-1 sprint as UNH knotted the score at 43-43.
 
Sutton would end the run, and regain the lead for the Black Bears, after Brosseau found her for a transition layup with 7:11 remaining.
 
Millan would score Maine's next three hoops unanswered. The Black Bears drew back-to-back offensive fouls which helped them jump out to a 6-0 run and extend the lead to 51-45 with 4:12 to play.

New Hampshire closed within five on a free throw by Kat Fogarty but would not score again. The Black Bears closed out the game on a 5-0 run, taking the road contest by a 56-46 final.

Maine looks to extend its win streak to five when it hosts UMBC on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 1 p.m. Tickets are available by visiting the Cross Insurance Center box office or online at TicketMaster.com.