BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Adrianna Smith posted her 58th career double-double but the Black Bears came up short in the America East Championship, falling by a final of 61-43 to No. 1 Vermont on Friday evening at Patrick Gymnasium.

Smith finished the night 7-for-18 from the field, 8-of-10 from the free throw line, for 22 points to go along with 15 rebounds and four assists. Lala Woods hit two triples and finished with eight points while Asta Blauenfeldt added seven points.

Maine posted a 28.8 percent showing (15-for-52) from the floor and finished with just seven turnovers, marking its 14th single-digit turnover performance of the season. 

The Black Bears opened on a 9-2 run. Smith posted Maine's first four points before Blauenfeldt, working off a steal by Smith, put Maine up six. Woods' triple gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the night, 9-2, with 4:29 left in the first.

Out of a timeout, Vermont answered Maine's sprint with an 19-2 run of its own to take a 21-11 edge with 6:34 remaining in the half.

The lead grew to 14 with less than four minutes left in the second quarter. Maine was able to close the gap, finishing the half on a 6-0 run with triples from Woods and Blauenfeldt.

Vermont's lead would stand at eight, 29-21, at the break.

Maine was outscored 19-10 in the third quarter as Vermont's lead swelled to 48-31 after three.

Smith's back-to-back buckets to open the fourth trimmed the deficit to 13 but it would be as close as Maine would get, falling in the end by a final of 61-43.

-UMaine-