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Women's Basketball Defeats Albany 71-63
Feb. 7, 2007
ORONO, Maine - Ashley Underwood poured in a career-high 30 points, while Bracey Barker notched a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead Maine to a 71-63 win over Albany on Wednesday afternoon at Alfond Arena. The win pushed the Black Bears' record to 11-10 overall and evened its America East record at 5-5. The Great Danes dipped to 7-16 and 3-7 in the conference. The win gave Maine the regular-season sweep over Albany, as the Black Bears ran their all-time record to 14-0 against the Great Danes. The Black Bears downed the Great Danes, 57-52, back on Jan. 7, in Albany. Underwood was 6-of-12 from the field, including an impressive 4-of-5 from behind the arc. She has connected on 14 three-pointers in her last three games against Albany. Underwood was also 14-of-14 from the free throw line and for the second time this season tied the school-record for free throw percentage in a game at 1.000 (min. 10 free throws made). She also accomplished the feat back on Dec. 29, in Maine's victory over Northwestern State in the Cavalier Classic. It marked the first time a Black Bear topped the 30-point mark in scoring since Abby Schrader netted 30 in a 69-66 win over Boston University back on March 1, 2006, at Alfond Arena. For Barker, it was her second double-double of the season, as she also turned the trick with 15 points and 12 rebounds in Maine's 74-66 victory at UMBC back on Jan. 24. In addition to the performances of Underwood and Barker, senior forward Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa came off the bench to contribute 11 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Albany was led in scoring by Kristin Higy with 14 points, while Charity Iromuanya and Britney McGee each chipped in with 10. For their efforts, Barker, Underwood and Higy were named the America East Players of the Game.
The first half was tightly contested as it featured a back-and-forth pace with both teams trading baskets. The lead changed hands several times before it was knotted at 34-34 with 2:49 to go on a Sherri Mikus jumper for Albany. However, the Black Bears responded and closed out the half on an 8-2 run to take a 42-36 advantage into the intermission. Underwood and Barker each scored four points to aid the rally. Albany found itself down by just four at 44-40 early in the second half, but Maine took control for the next several minutes and pushed its lead out to double-digits. The Black Bears took a 63-45 lead with 7:05 remaining on a Barker layup. However, Albany fought back and cut its deficit to eight on two occassions in the final minutes. But Underwood would seal the win for Maine by converting four free throws in the final 30 seconds. The game was played on "National Girls and Women In Sports Day," as the University of Maine celebrated the day with campuses across the country. A crowd of 1,874 fans, including several buses full of school-aged children, attended the event and took in all the excitement of the Black Bears' win. Maine returns to action on Saturday when it plays host to Binghamton at 12 p.m., at Alfond Arena. Tickets still remain for the contest and can be purchased by calling 581-BEAR or toll-free at (800) 756-TEAM. |
