UMBC
41
MAINE
61
| Final |
1 |
2 |
T |
| UMBC (10-18, 5-10) |
13 |
28 |
41 |
| MAINE (22-6, 14-1) |
30 |
31 |
61 |
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (22-6, 14-1 America East) locked up at least a share of the 2015 America East Regular Season Championship with a 61-41 victory over UMBC on Thursday evening's Senior Night.
Maine, which secured the #1 seed in the upcoming America East Postseason Tournament, locked up its first regular season league title since 2005. This will be the fifth time Maine has entered America East tournament play as the #1 seed and the 11th time overall being a #1 seed in its postseason tournament, including the Seaboard Conference and the North Atlantic Conference. With a win at New Hampshire Sunday or a loss by UAlbany, Maine will look up sole possession of the America East Regular Season Title.
The Black Bears victory over UMBC was powered by double-figure scoring efforts from Sigi Koizar (Vienna, Austria) and Liz Wood(Catlett, Va.). Koizar led Maine's scoring efforts with 15 points, going 5-for-6 from the floor with four assists, while Wood added her second-straight double-double performance with 14 points and 10 boards to go along with five assists, five steals and three blocks.
Maine has now held 17-straight opponents under 60 total points as it forced 20 UMBC turnovers. The Black Bears shot 46.8 percent (22-for-47) from the floor and nabbed a season-high 14 steals.
The Black Bears never trailed in the contest and came out hot. On her senior night, Courtney Anderson (Greene, Maine) got the offense started as her first two points of the game led to a 7-0 run from the Black Bears.
The lead grew to double-figures on Bella Swan's (Farmington, Ut.) 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Koizar.
UMBC chipped the lead back down to seven before a 9-0 Black Bear run, on seven points from Wood, built the advantage back to 16.
Maine took its largest lead of the half when Mikaela Gustafsson(Sodertalje, Sweden) found a cutting Wood for two as Maine carried a 30-13 lead into the break.
The Black Bears' lead swelled to 22 early in the second half on a 3-pointer from Koizar.
UMBC answered, chopping the distance down to 13 with 15:44 to play in the contest.
Maine put the game away when it responded with a 24-9 run, building its lead out to 28, with only 3:41 remaining in regulation.
The Retrievers scored the final eight points of the contest but in the end it was Maine on top, 61-41.
Maine closes the 2014-15 regular season at New Hampshire on Sunday, March 1. Tip is set for 2 p.m. and the contest can be seen live on ESPN3. With a win over New Hampshire or a UAlbany loss, the Black Bears will hold sole possession of the America East Regular Season Title.
-U-M
