ORONO, Maine -- Following a career-high 26 point effort, Asta Blauenfeldt led the Black Bears with a game-high 21 points as the University of Maine women's basketball team snapped Vermonts 19-game home win streak with a 55-46 victory on Thursday afternoon.

Blauenfeldt finished 8-of-12 from the floor with four triples to go along with two steals while Adrianna Smith added her 11th double-double of the season with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. 

The Black Bears, who outscored Vermont 22-15 in the final quarter, held the Catamounts to just six points in the second quarter while forcing a total of 15 turnovers in the win.

Maine trailed by five after the first quarter and found itself in its largest deficit of the game, 17-9, with 9:29 left in the first half.

Trailing by eight, the Black Bears put together a 12-0 run to take their first lead of the afternoon. Smith started the run with two buckets before Blauenfeldt's triple cut the Vermont advantage to one. Lala Woods forced a steal and finished on the opposite end to put Maine up by one before Blauenfeldt sealed the sprint with another triple to put Maine up four with 3:11 left in the second quarter.

Vermont closed the half with a 3-0 run as Maine entered the half leading by one, 21-20.

The Catamounts would tie the game twice in the third before regaining a lead, 28-26, with 3:11 left in the third.

Blauenfeldt's bucket and the harm, followed by a made free throw, put Maine back on top before Sarah Talon's bucket build the lead back out to four late in the third quarter.

Maine's lead would stand at two, 33-31, entering the final quarter.

The Black Bears held on to a four point lead before a deep jumper from Lizzy Gruber expanded the lead to six midway through the fourth.

A three from Vermont pulled the Catamounts within three before Maine responded down the stretch with a 7-0 run. A bucket from Blauenfeldt and five free throws from Smith and Talon gave Maine its first double-digit lead of the game, 51-41.

A late fastbreak bucket from Blauenfeldt gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the day, 55-44, with under a minute to play as Maine cruised to a 55-46 victory.

Maine returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 7 when it hosts Bryant at 1 p.m.

-UMaine-