BANGOR, Maine – Led by strong offensive performances from Blanca Millan, Parise Rossignol, Dor Saar and Fanny Wadling, the University of Maine women's basketball team overpowered Toledo,73-59, in the season-opener on Saturday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Center.
 
The quartet of Millan (18 pts., 7-21 FG), Rossignol (15 pts. 5-7 3-PT), Saar (15 pts. 5-9 FG, 4-7 3PT) and Wadling (11 pts,. 5-6 FG) combined for 59 of Maine's 73 points. The four made over 50 percent of their field goal attempts (22-43, 51.2. percent) to lead the Black Bears (1-0) on the offensive end. Saar's 15 points is a new career-high, while Rossignol matched her career-best with 15 points.
 
Tanesha Sutton collected a game-high nine rebounds, while Wadling and Millan provided six and five rebounds, respectively. Millan also matched a career-best with six assists, while Saar added five.

Rossignol got the Black Bears going with three consecutive 3-pointers in a 47 second-span to lift Maine to an early 11-4 advantage. The Rockets (0-1) cut Maine's within three points at 11-8, but a Millan jumper and another trey from Rossignol extended the Black Bear lead to eight at 16-8. Toledo ensued on a 5-2 run to end the quarter with a 18-13 deficit.
 
Maine started the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers from Millan and Saar, as the Black Bears forced a Toledo timeout with a 24-13 advantage. The Rockets cut Maine's lead to six at 24-18, but a 8-0 charge by the Black Bears, featuring six points from Saar, put Maine up 32-18 with 3:39 left until halftime. The Black Bears would take a 43-28 lead into the locker room as the teams traded baskets to end the half.
 
A Walding trey kicked off the scoring in the third quarter, as Sutton added a jumper as Maine's lead expanded to 20 points at 48-28. The Rockets fought back to within 12 at 50-38, but a 10-0 Black Bear run ensued,  as nine unanswered points by Millan put Maine up 22 points at 60-38. Toledo would score three points in the final 24 seconds, as the Rockets trailed by 19 points at 60-41 to start the final frame.
 
Maine increased its lead to a game-high 27 points at 71-44 and 73-46, but Toledo scored the final 13 points in the game for a final score of 73-59 in favor the Black Bears.
 
Kaayla McIntyre, the only Rocket to reach double-figures in scoring, recorded 24 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes played. The Rockets were picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference's West Division preseason coaches' poll.
 
The Black Bears are back in action next week, when Maine heads to Bryant for a Tuesday night contest in Smithfield, Rhode Island. The opening tip at Chace Athletic Center is slated for 7:00 p.m. Maine returns home on Thursday, Nov. 15,  when the Black Bears welcome Duke to the Cross Insurance Center. For tickets, visit the Cross Insurance Center box office, or head to TicketMaster.com.
 
-UMaine-