BANGOR, Maine -- For the second-straight game, the Black Bears used an 18-0 run to distance themselves as they were able to put together a strong second half to defeat Vermont, 66-45, on Wednesday evening at the Cross Insurance Center.

The victory, Maine's fifth in a row, moved the Black Bears to 16-7 overall and 9-1 in league play.

Blanca Millan led the charge on offense, besting 20 points for the 10th time this season as she finished with a game-high 22. Millan, who went 2-of-13 from the floor in the first half, exploded in the second with a 6-for-7 showing from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range, for 18 second half points. Parise Rossignol knocked down four triples on her way to her fourth consecutive double-digit night with 14 points while Tanesha Sutton filled the stat line with 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals.

For the fifth-straight game, the Black Bears finished with 20 or more assists, tossing a total of 21 helpers on 26 made baskets. Dor Saar continued her strong play running the offense, finishing with six assists to give her a 33 dimes and just three turnovers over her last five outings.

It truly was a tale of two halves for the Black Bears who outscored Vermont 43-26 in the second half, shooting 16-of-25 from the floor, 8-of-10 from three over the final 20-minutes.

Saar knocked down a trey late in the first before finding Millan for two as the Black Bears put together a 5-0 run to take a six point edge with 2:36 left in the opening period. Vermont answered with a 5-0 run of its own to close within one after the first quarter.

Neither team was able to buy a bucket over the opening 5:41 of the second quarter. Maine would end the half with a 7-4 advantage in the second half, taking a 23-19 lead into the break.

Maine's offense came alive in the third, outscoring the Catamounts 25-13 in the period. A 15-5 run began the quarter for Maine as back-to-back triples from Millan and Saar extended the lead out to 16.

After the Catamounts chopped the deficit back down to eight, the Black Bears exploded for an 18-0 sprint extending into the fourth quarter. Triples from Rossignol and Millan began the surge before the duo started the fourth quarter with another set of consecutive treys. Layups from Millan and Fanny Wadling completed the run as the Black Bears found themselves up by 26 with 7:10 remaining. In all during the extended run, the Black Bears were able to hold Vermont scoreless over a 5:27 span.

Maine's lead would not shrink below 19 the rest of the way as the Black Bears sailed the rest of the way to a 66-45 victory. The 21-point winning margin marked Maine's fifth win by more than 20 points in league play, and their fourth consecutive game winning by 20 or more.

The Black Bears continue league play on Saturday, Feb. 9 when they travel to take on UMBC at 1 p.m.

-UMaine-