On Nov. 13, the University of Maine women’s basketball team outlasted the University of Rhode Island Rams 57-53. UMaine entered the game 1-1, coming off a loss to the University of Pennsylvania Quakers. URI looked to start a winning streak after beating Le Moyne College.
Third-year guard Sarah Talon opened the scoring for Maine with a smooth pull-up jumper. Rhode Island quickly took the lead thanks to a pair of free throws by third-year guard Ines Debroise and a three by third-year forward Anaelle Dutat.
Maine sent a double team every time Rhode Island got the ball in the post. The Rams had a size advantage over the Black Bears, which allowed them to get many offensive rebounds. Still, Maine led 16-15 after the first quarter.
Talon again opened the scoring in the second quarter, beating the shot clock with a contested layup. Fourth-year center Harsimran Kaur sank a top-of-the-key three to tie the game. Second-year guard Sophia Vital made a beautiful reverse layup to give URI their first lead of the quarter. While both teams struggled to get their offenses going, Rhode Island got to the free throw line and put some easy points on the board, giving them a 29-26 lead at halftime.
The Black Bears took the lead within the first minute of the second half after Talon scored a quick layup and fifth-year guard Oliva Rockwood knocked down a three. Rhode Island quickly retook the lead with back-to-back layups by Debroise, and on the second basket she was fouled. Fifth-year guard-forward Caroline Bornemann responded with an and-one bucket of her own, taking her defender down low and shaking them off with some great post moves and footwork for the finish through contact.
Back-to-back interior buckets by Talon again gave Maine the lead, which did not last long. First-year forward Palmire Mbu made her first three as a Ram and then got a steal that led to a Kaur layup. A buzzer-beating mid-range jumper by third-year forward Caroline Dotsey off a feed from Bornemann cut the Rams’ lead to 46-43 heading into the fourth.
Unsurprisingly, Talon scored the first points of the final quarter to cut the lead to one. The game turned into the Talon and fourth-year guard Paula Gallego show, as the backcourt scored all 14 of Maine’s points in the fourth quarter.
After a Rhode Island score, Gallego nailed a shot from behind the arc to tie the game, then gave Maine the lead with a layup. Poor free throw shooting cost Rhode Island the game. The Rams shot 1-5 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, including one after third-year forward Hawa Komara made a layup and was fouled to retake the lead with the opportunity to extend it.
Talon and Gallego collectively scored on three straight possessions, but a layup by Kaur kept Rhode Island within three points with less than a minute remaining. With the clock dwindling, Talon drove to the basket and got fouled on a jump shot attempt. She split the free throws to make it a two-possession game, and the Black Bears got the stop to clinch the victory.
Maine is one of the most prominent three-point shooting teams in the country, ranked 31st in the nation in threes-per-game. Yet, in this game, they got the job done while only taking 17, making five of those attempts. Talon was incredible, and it was one of the best games of her career at Maine. She finished with a season-high 19 points, only missing one shot all game. Gallego continued her strong start of the season with 14 points. Fourth-year guard Sera Hodgson scored eight points off the bench, and while Bornemann didn’t have the most efficient game, she led the Black Bears in assists and rebounds.
