DURHAM, N.H. -- Dor Saar registered 17 of her team-high 21 points in the first half as the University of Maine women's basketball team reeled off its seventh consecutive win, locking up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming America East Tournament with a 71-62 victory at New Hampshire on Wednesday evening.

The Black Bears, who have now won nine in a row against the Wildcats, outscored New Hampshire 21-16 in the fourth quarter to seal their fourth road win of the season. Saar was impressive in the first half, tallying 10 points in the first quarter and seven more in the second before finishing in double-figures for the 17th time this season. Anne Simon posted her second consecutive double-double as the freshman finished with 20 points and a career-high matching 11 boards.

Maine assisted on 13 of its 26 made field goals, shooting 49.1-percent from the floor and holding a slim, 30-27, lead on the boards over the Wildcats.

New Hampshire opened the game on a 15-8 run, taking its largest lead of the contest with 4:03 left in the first quarter.

Facing an early seven-point deficit, Saar decided to take over offensively. The point guard would score Maine's next eight points as the Black Bears closed out the opening quarter with a 10-2 run. Back-to-back triples from Saar trimmed the deficit to three before layups from Saar and a late one from Simon put Maine on top, 18-17, after one.

The teams would trade the lead three times in the opening four minutes of the second before Maine put together another run. With the visitors trailing by three, Saar began a 6-0 swing with a trey as the Black Bears would regain the lead, 29-26.

The Wildcats closed the gap and would, eventually, take a one point edge before Saar's late jumper gave the Black Bears a 33-30 edge at the break.

More back and forth action was featured in the third as five lead changes led to the Wildcats holding a 47-46 advantage with under a minute left. McVicar's triple as the shot clock buzzer sounded, with three seconds left in the third, regained a four-point advantage for Maine after three.

As has been the norm during Maine's recent stretch, the Black Bears would settle in late and put the game away in the fourth.

With the Black Bears holding a five point lead in the fourth, back-to-back buckets from Maeve Carroll extended Maine's lead to its largest of the contest, 59-50, with 5:18 to play.

New Hampshire would close the gap to four but the Black Bears hit clutch free throws down the stretch, closing out the contest on an 8-3 run to capture its ninth in a row against the Wildcats, 71-62.

Maine closes out the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 29 when it visits UMBC at 1 p.m.

-UMaine-