Augusta, Maine -- A game which featured eight lead changes and two ties came down to the final second as Maine's shot at the buzzer came up short and Rhode Island was able to escape the Augusta Civic Center with a 45-44 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Maine's defense was able to hold a Rhode Island team, which entered averaging 71.4 points per game, to 27.4 points under its average while forcing 15 turnovers and limiting the Rams to just 36.5 percent shooting from the field.
Anne Simon led all scorers with a game-high 18 points to go along with three steals, three assists, and three rebounds.
Bailey Wilborn knocked down three triples for nine points while
Maeve Carroll, the top rebounded in the America East conference, grabbed 11 boards while adding seven points and four steals. For Carroll, it was her fourth time tallying double-digit rebounding totals this year.
In all, the Black Bears finished the game 18-of-59 (30.5) from the floor, 5-of-26 from three-point range and 3-of-7 from the free throw stripe. Rhode Island held a slight edge in the rebounding column, 39-38.
Trailing by six with 3:11 left in the first quarter, the Black Bears were able to put together a 7-0 run to gain their first lead of the afternoon. Working off a feed from Simon, Carroll got things started with a short jumper. Wilborn dialed up a three to start the scoring in the second quarter to draw Maine within a point.
Alba Orois found Simon on the ensuing possession for a pair as the Black Bears went on top, 13-12, with 8:25 left in the opening half.
The 7-0 sprint turned into a 12-2 run as another triple from Wilborn and a bucket from Carroll gave Maine its largest lead of the game, 18-14.
The Rams would close the half on a 6-2 run, ultimately taking a 23-22 edge into the break.
Neither team was able to pull away in the third with two lead changes and one tie through the period eventually led to Rhode Island carrying a 32-30 advantage into the final period.
The Rams began the fourth with an 8-3 run, extending their lead out to 40-33 with 6:21 on the clock.
Maine responded with a 6-0 run out of its timeout, cutting the lead to one. Simon,
Caroline Bornemann, and Carroll all scored on the sprint. A bucket from Rhode Island pushed its lead back to three before Orois knocked down a triple, tying things at 42-42 with 3:02 remaining in regulation.
Rhode Island would take a 45-43 lead on a free throw with 20-seconds on the clock.
Simon slashed through the paint and was tripped, drawing a foul to head to the free throw line with 1-second remaining. Simon would hit the first but miss the second. The rebound went out of bounds to Maine. However, Maine's last second shot at the buzzer would fall short as the Rams escaped with a 45-44 victory.
Maine is back in action on Sunday, Dec. 19 when it hosts Dartmouth at 1 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center. Tickets are available online at
TicketMaster.com or at the Cross Insurance Center box office.
-UMaine-
