Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team improved to 5-1 in America East play with a 50-46 victory at Binghamton on Saturday afternoon. Adrianna Smith led the Black Bears with her conference leading 10th double-double of the season. 

Smith finished the contest with 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with three assists. The scoring total stretched her double-digit scoring streak to nine straight. Caroline Bornemann added eight points and five boards while Sera Hodgson hit a pair of triples and finished with seven points. Anne Simon added four points and three rebounds before leaving with an injury early in the third quarter.

Maine won the rebounding battle for the seventh time in its last eight outings as the Black Bears snatched 46 boards to Binghamton's 39 in the contest. Maine turned in one of its best defensive efforts of the season, limiting Binghamton to the lowest point total (46) Maine has surrendered this season and 31.0 percent from the floor while forcing 16 turnovers. The Black Bears held Binghamton to single digits in the second (3) and fourth (9) quarters.

After a back and forth quarter which featured five lead changes, Maine found itself down three early in the second quarter. The Black Bears ended the second quarter on an 11-1 run to take a lead into the break.

Paula Gallego started the second quarter run with a bucket off an offensive board from Hodgson. Two Simon free throws gave Maine a one point lead before Jaycie Christopher's triple put Maine up four. Smith and Bornemann each tallied buckets on either side of a Binghamton free throw as Maine found itself up 27-20 at the half.

Maine's offense kept charging early in the third as a triple from Hodgson gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the afternoon, 32-24.

Binghamton answered the sprint with a 13-2 run to take a 37-34 lead with just 37-seconds left in the third quarter.

Maine entered the fourth trailing the Bearcats, 37-25.

After Binghamton extended its lead to four with 5:53 in the final quarter, the Black Bears responded with a 9-0 run.

Smith and Bornemann started the run with buckets before another big triple from Christopher off a turnover put Maine back on top by three. Bornemann concluded the run with a layup as Maine found itself up by five with 2:23 left.

Binghamton was able to cut the lead to a pair but two clutch free throws from Smith sealed the victory for the Black Bears by a final of 50-46.

Maine returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to meet UMass Lowell. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m.

-UMaine-