The University of Maine women’s basketball team started the America East playoffs strong by winning 65-51 in the quarter final game against the New Jersey Institute of Technology on March 6. The Black Bears are now 15-15 overall and 9-7 in America East play. The Black Bears will advance to the semifinals to face No.1 seed UAlbany.
Third-year guard Asta Blauenfeldt finished the game with 9-of-14 from the floor with three triples, a pair of steals and a career-high of nine rebounds along with two assists. She led all scorers with 22 points. Graduate student guard Caroline Bornemann trailed behind her with 15 points by stretching her double-digit scoring streak to four in a row, five rebounds and a career-best of seven assists.
The Black Bears started the first quarter on their front foot and scored the first five points of the game, which started from Bornemann’s pair of free throws. Third-year guard Alejandra Zuniga got the first two points for the Highlanders with a layup three minutes into the game. Blaunefeldt separated the score more and got the first three pointer of the night, making the score 10-4 for Maine with just under five minutes left. NJIT responded right after with a three pointer from first-year guard Olivia Kulyk, but Blauenfeldt maintained the lead and scored a three-pointer and driving layup within a minute. Second-year forward Caroline Dotsey ended the first quarter with a layup through contact and made her free throw to put the score in Maine’s favor, 18-10, going into the second quarter.
The Black Bears came out flying after fourth-year guard Sera Hodgson made a three thirty seconds into the second quarter to give Maine their largest lead so far with an eleven-point difference of 21-10. Kulyk made an effort to close the gap with two layups and jump shot that made it a five point game. Blauenfeldt and Dotsey would not let that happen, quickly responding with back-to-back three pointers. In the last couple minutes of the quarter, Blauenfeldt and Bornemann were able to get on a fastbreak which ended a layup. Second-year guard Marissa Gingrich was able to get the last points of the quarter with a jumper that made the score 31-23 going into halftime. Maine was able to keep the lead for the entire quarter after NJIT matched them in scoring, 13-13.
Seconds into the third quarter, Blauenfeldt made a driving layup to start off strong and go back to a ten-point difference. The Highlanders kicked their game into gear and put together an 11-1 run that gave them their first lead of the game, 34-33. Zuniga began their streak with a jumper in the paint, a free throw and a layup within four minutes. Gingrich ended the run with two threes, one of them assisted by Kulyk. Maine kept calm, taking a timeout to regroup and reset in the heat of the game. With only two minutes left, Hodgson put the Bears back in the lead with a triple, and Bornemann came out with a layup that ended the quarter with Maine leading by three points, 38-35, before going into the last quarter.
Maine continued to end and start each quarter with a lead, which third-year guard Sarah Talon extended with a three pointer 30 seconds into the last ten minutes of play. Maine fed off of this energy and went on a 7-0 run. This put the teams back at a ten-point difference with about eight minutes still remaining until the finish line. Fourth-year forward Trinity Williams broke Maine’s streak with two layups that continued to make it an exciting game. The chances of winning grew slimmer for the Highlanders as fourth-year guard Paula Gallego sank a three which gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the night at 60-45, with just under three minutes remaining. NJIT was not able to catch up as Maine continued to play confidently and with their eyes set on the semi finals. Hodgson secured two free throws to finish off the game at a 65-51 victory.
The Black Bears will appear in the America East semifinal on Monday, March 10 to play at UAlbany at 6:30 p.m.
