Sports

Four Black Bears score double figures in win

By Riley Donovan

Posted on Feb. 09, 2004, at 12:00 a.m.

The University of Maine women’s basketball team faced another test on Saturday and passed it with flying colors. UMaine defeated Binghamton University 64-43 in America East conference play in Vestal, N.Y.

Four Black Bears finished in double figures. Heather Ernest, Missy Traversi, Melissa Heon and Kim Corbitt each finished with 11 points.

Maine did not allow Binghamton to score for the first 6:50 of the game, taking a 6-0 lead at the start. Maine’s lead would grow to 25-7 on a three pointer by junior forward Julie Veilleux, with 5:47 remaining. Binghamton would cut the lead to 12 by halftime, 33-21.

After another long scoring drought for the Bearcats to start the second half, Maine would take a 37-21 lead. Binghamton stepped it up midway through the second half, but could never get close enough to make a run at Maine’s lead. With a lay-up by Monica Peterson, a three by Heon, and a lay-up by Traversi, Maine went on a quick 7-0 run to give the team a 19-point lead again. The Black Bears put away the Bearcats for their 26th straight conference win 64-43.

Rachel Laws scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Bearcats. She has led her team in scoring for the 10th time this season. She has scored in double figures for 15 straight games.

The win for Maine was its second win over Binghamton this season. The Black Bears defeated the Bearcats 58-55, to open their conference season on Jan. 7 at Alfond Arena. The Black Bears improved to 10-0 in the America East and 15-5 overall, while Binghamton fell to 6-4 and 11-7 overall.

Maine travels to Durham, N.H., on Wednesday to take on the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. Maine beat UNH earlier in the season 67-45 at home. New Hampshire has a 5-5 conference record and a 9-10 overall record. In her four seasons as head coach, Sharon Versyp has a 7-1 record against the Wildcats. Versyp is now 5-1 against Binghamton.

The game was the first game played at Binghamton’s new $33.1 million Events Center. The crowd of 2,464 was the largest ever at a women’s basketball game in Binghamton.

Maine is ranked in the top 70 teams in the country in the national RPI rankings. Sixty-four teams get into the NCAA tournament in March. Maine could get an automatic bid to the tournament by winning its own conference tournament. The women have not won the America East tournament since 1998, although they have played in it three times since then. The team has received two invitational bids to the NCAA tournament since 1998 and one to the WNIT last season.

Maine leads the conference in wins, free throws and three-point shots.

Maine will return home at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14, when the host Albany at Alfond Arena.

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