Vestal, N.Y. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team extended its win streak to four-straight after defeating Binghamton, 54-45, on Friday evening in the first of two games with the Bearcats this weekend.

Maine, which led by as many as 15 in the contest, dominated play inside with a 38-28 advantage on the boards and a 34-18 edge with points in the paint.

For the 19th time this season, and for the 13th-straight game, Anne Simon posted double-digit scoring totals with 17 points. Maeve Carroll tallied the 14th double-double of her career with 16 points and 12 rebounds while Alba Orois added 11 points and six assists in the victory.

The Black Bears would carry a 10-4 lead into the second quarter after the Bearcats were limited to 1-of-14 shooting in the opening quarter.

Maine, which closed the first with an 8-0 run, extended the sprint to 12-0 when buckets from Simon and Carroll extended the lead out to 10. Binghamton snapped Maine's run with a triple, its first field goal in over 10 minutes.

A 5-0 run, with a layup and a triple from Simon, gave Maine its largest lead of the first half, 23-9, with 1:54 left in the second quarter.

Binghamton would close the half on a 7-0 run as the Black Bears entered the break leading 23-16.

Maine's lead would shrink to five early in the third but the Black Bears responded. A 6-0 run, keyed on a triple from Orois, extended the lead back out to 11.

The Bearcats chipped the lead back down to six, but it would be as close as they would get. Maine again had an answer, this time staging a 9-0 run as Olivia Rockwood's triple gave Maine its largest lead of the evening, 48-33.

Maine would close out the first game of the weekend series, winning by a final of 54-45 to improve to 7-3 in America East play.

-UMaine-