|
Women's Basketball Pulls Out Last-Minute Win Over Stony Brook
Feb. 16, 2008
ORONO, Maine - The University of Maine women's basketball team snapped a two-game losing skid on Saturday by pulling off a last-minute 55-53 victory over Stony Brook at Alfond Arena in Orono. Maine ran its record to 7-17 overall and 4-7 in America East, while the Seawolves dipped to 6-18 and 1-10 in the league. Sophomore guard Amanda Tewksbury netted 16 points, including laying in the go-ahead basket with 24 seconds remaining. Following a Stony Brook turnover at the other end of the court, senior guard Kris Younan calmly sank two free throws to seal the win and snap Maine's five-game losing streak against the Seawolves. Black Bear junior forward Colleen Kilmurray led the team with 17 points, including 12 in the second half. She also grabbed seven rebounds while swiping a pair of steals. Kilmurray, who shot 80 percent (4-of-5) from the floor in the second 20 minutes, scored three-straight points over a minute-and-a-half span late in the contest to knot the score at 51-51 with 1:20 remaining. Kairsten Nunn and Kirsten Jeter scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, to lead Stony Brook. Jeter also pulled down four rebounds, swiped four steals and handed out a pair of assists. Maine out-rebounded Stony Brook, 35-27, and has yet to be out-rebounded by an America East foe this season. Tewksbury added six rebounds to go along with her point total, while freshman center Christina Mosher grabbed five boards. Mosher was making her first-career collegiate start in the contest and also scored five points. She has pulled down at least five rebounds in three-straight games.
The Black Bears raced out to a 23-10 lead midway through the first half. A three-point play by Tewksbury capped an 18-6 run over a five-minute stretch to stake Maine to the 13-point advantage. However, SBU battled back and scored 15 of the game's next 17 points to pull even at 25-25 with 1:36 left until halftime. Maine regained the lead with :04 left in the frame as Mosher laid in a basket off a nice pass from Brittany Boser.
Maine held a 27-25 halftime lead on the strength of 10 second-chance points, which came off five offensive rebounds -- including two apiece from Kilmurray and Mosher. Stony Brook used a 9-4 run to open the second half and grab a 34-31 advantage with 13:32 remaining. The Seawolves' lead hovered between 2-to-4 points for the next five minutes before a three by Kilmurray from the top of the key knotted the score at 45-45. From there, both teams traded baskets over the next few minutes before Kilmurray, Tewksbury and Younan converted at the offensive end to lift the Black Bears to victory. As a team, Maine shot 48 percent (20-of-42) from the field, while limiting Stony Brook to just 38 percent (21-of-56) shooting. The game also marked "Think Pink" Day, as Maine recognized the courageous battle against breast cancer. The event was held in conjunction with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, which sponsors the event nationally each year. A crowd of 1,968 -- mostly dressed in pink -- was on hand to watch the Black Bears get the win. Maine returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to face Boston University at 7 p.m., at Case Gym. |
