BANGOR, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team captured its second consecutive America East Championship, and ninth overall league title, with a 68-48 victory over No. 2 Hartford on Friday evening at the Cross Insurance Center.

Blanca Millan, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, led four double-figure scorers for Maine (25-7) with 19 points to go along with eight rebounds and four steals. Fanny Wadling filled the stat sheet with the sixth double-double of her career as she finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Parise Rossignol went 5-for-9 from 3-point range to finish with 15 points while Tanesha Sutton, who was named to the America East All-Tournament Team, nearly posted a double-double, chipping in 12 points and nine boards. Dor Saar joined Millan and Sutton on the All-Tournament Team, tallying nine points with seven assists in the title game.

The Black Bears will make their ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Maine will find out who its next opponent will be during the NCAA Selection Show, set for Monday, March 18 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The Black Bears, who matched their longest winning streak since 2016 with their 14th consecutive victory, outscored Hartford 18-6 off turnovers and 15-4 in second chance points. Maine finished the contest 25-of-59 from the floor (42.4) while hitting 12-of-33 from downtown. The 12 triples were the 12th time this season in which Maine has hit double-digit treys in a contest.

Maine's offense continued to operate at a high-efficiency as the Black Bears were able to assist on 19 of their 25 field goals.

Maine, which never trailed in the contest, started out quick on offense as it raced out to a 10-0 lead in just under three minutes on back-to-back triples from Rossignol. Hartford sawed the lead back to four before Maine answered with a 6-0 sprint. Another triple from Rossignol brought the crowd of 3,324 to their feet before Maddy McVicar's three-ball expanded the lead back out to 10 to end the first quarter.

The Black Bears remained hot from the floor, and more specifically from beyond the arc, to start the second as Saar's triple and a layup from Millan pushed the lead to 13. Maine took its largest lead of the first half midway through the quarter when Millan cashed in on two free throws, putting the Black Bears on top by 14.

Hartford closed the half on an 11-3 run as Maine carried a 32-26 lead into the break.

The Hawks cut the lead all the way down to a pair with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter before Maine again responded. Sutton ripped down one of her game-high five offensive rebounds and went back up strong for two while drawing the foul before completing the three-point play. A triple from Millan and another three-point play from Sutton, again off from an offensive board, lifted Maine's lead back to 11.

Sutton's layup with one second remaining on the clock in the third would give Maine a 51-38 edge heading into the final period.

The Black Bears looked to put Hartford away early in the fourth. Leading by 10, Maine put together an 8-0 run again fueled by some key triples. Saar found Wadling for two before 3-point field goals by Rossignol and Millan gave the Black Bears a 59-41 advantage with six minutes remaining.

Saar answered a Hartford three with one of her own before the sophomore point guard foun Sutton for two as Maine's lead reached 20 late in the fourth.

The Black Bears would cruise the rest of the way, sealing up a 68-48 victory to punch their second consecutive ticket to the NCAA Tournament with its ninth overall league title.

-UMaine-