W. Hartford, Conn. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team erased a 13-point deficit, rallying to take a three-point lead with 2:45 remaining in a showdown between the league's top two teams in Hartford. However, the Hawks would end the game on a 6-0 run to take a 49-46 victory on Wednesday evening at Reich Family Pavilion.

Tanesha Sutton's free throw with 2:45 on the clock put the Black Bears up by three late. Four free throws and a layup put the Hawks on top by three with 10-seconds remaining in regulation. The Black Bears had two looks from three-point range in the closing seconds but were unable to get the shot to fall.

Fanny Wadling tallied her third career double-double, finishing with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Dor Saar added a team-high 13 points with a trio of three-point field goals while Blanca Millan finished with nine points and five steals.

The Black Bears controlled the glass, holding a 38-20 advantage on the boards including a commanding 15-2 edge on the offensive glass.

Hartford shot 11-for-23 in the opening half, holding Maine to six points in the second quarter and an 0-for-9 performance from three-point range over the opening 20-minutes. The Hawks used the shooting advantage to build a 28-17 lead after two.

Maine came out of the break with a new energy, outscoring the Hawks by a 22-12 margin in the third to claw its way back into the contest.

After Hartford took its largest lead of the game, a 13-point advantage early in the third, Maine responded with a 10-0 run. A pair of jumpers from Rossignol ignited the comeback before back-to-back triples from Saar cut the lead to three.

Maine kept charging. After Hartford ran the lead back to six, the Black Bears responded with a 5-0 run. Saar's third triple of the period trimmed the deficit all the way down to one with 5:49 left in the quarter.

The Hawks rebuilt their lead to four late in the third but Maine again had the answer. A 5-0 run, with all points coming from Millan, gave Maine a one-point lead as the junior stuck a three-pointer with 1:32 left in the third to put Maine up, 39-38.

Hartford nabbed a two point advantage with five minutes remaining before the Black Bears put together a short 4-0 run. Wadling gave Maine a 43-42 advantage before a steal from Millan led to another bucket from Wadling, extending Maine's lead to three with 3:28 on the clock.

Wadling's offensive board late in the quarter led to Sutton drawing a foul. The senior would hit one of two, giving Maine a 46-43 edge.

However, Hartford would end the game on a 6-0 run as the Black Bears went 0-for-4 from the floor and 0-for-3 from the free throw line in final 2:30.

Maine continues America East road action on Saturday, Jan. 19 when it travels to meet Stony Brook. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

-UMaine-