W. LAFEYETTE, Ind. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team, which trailed Purdue by 11 in the first quarter, battled back to carry a six point lead into halftime. However, the Black Bears were unable to hold on, falling to the Boilermakers by a final of 60-51 on Wednesday evening.

Caroline Bornemann paced Maine with 16 points, her sixth double-digit showing of the season, while Asta Blauenfeldt and Caroline Dotsey each added 13. Blauenfeldt finished the contest 5-of-7 from the floor while Dotsey, who added a team-high six boards, posted her third consecutive double-digit scoring performance.

Maine, which outscored Purdue 27-12 in the second quarter, finished the game 19-of-54 (35.2) from the floor with eight triples.

The Boilermakers raced out to a 13-3 lead before taking its largest lead of the evening, 17-6, with under 10-seconds left in the first quarter.

Maine's comeback began on Bornemann's buzzer beater to end the opening stanza. From there, the Black Bears staged an 18-9 run to race back and tie the game.

The Black Bears, trailing by nine, jump started the second quarter sprint on back-to-back triples by Bornemann. Trailing by four, Bornemann added another bucket prior Blauenfeldt intercepted a Purdue pass before racing coast-to-coast for the game-tying bucket with 3:09 left in the first half.

Purdue regained a three point lead before Maine ended the half on a 9-0 run. Talon's old fashioned three-point play began the strong stretch before triples from Dotsey and one at the horn from Blauenfeldt gave Maine a 35-29 advantage at the break.

The lead swelled to nine when Blauenfeldt opened the third quarter with a triple.

Purdue would answer, piecing together a 12-0 run to regain its three point edge.

The Boilermakers ended the period on a 5-0 run to carry a 50-42 lead intno the fourth.

Maine scored the first points of the fourth on an and-one, three-point play from Dotsey. The buckets trimmed the deficit down to five but it would be as close as Maine would get as it fell to Purdue, 60-51.

The Black Bears return to action on Monday evening when they travel to meet Saint Joseph's at 7 p.m.

-UMaine-