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Women's Basketball Knocks Off ACC-foe Miami
Dec. 29, 2007 CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Freshman guard Emily Rousseau scored a team-high 12 points to lead the University of Maine women's basketball team to a 54-53 victory over ACC-foe Miami on Saturday in the opening round of the 2007 Hurricane Holiday Classic. The Black Bears (3-9) advanced to the championship game of the Classic, which will be held at 7 p.m., on Sunday night at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Fla. Sophomore guard Amanda Tewksbury chipped in 11 points, while pulling down seven rebounds and handing out two assists. Junior forward Colleen Kilmurray added seven points and eight rebounds, while Tanna Ross had nine points, one assist and steal each. Maurita Reid paced the Hurricanes with 25 points, while Carla Williams dropped in 12 as Miami fell to 5-8 on the season. The victory marked the second-straight season Maine knocked off a team from the ACC. The Black Bears turned the trick last season in the championship of the 2006 Dead River Company Classic, as Tewksbury drained a 17-foot jumper at the buzzer to lift Maine to an 80-78 win over Clemson. Maine defeated an ACC team for just the fifth time in program history. Miami was the third ACC opponent Maine has faced this season. The final two minutes of the contest was played a frenetic pace. Ross converted a three-point play with 1:51 remaining to put the Black Bears ahead 54-47. Reid drained a three at the other end to pull Miami within 54-50. Williams drew Miami closer at 54-52 with 24 seconds remaining on a layup. Albrey Grimsley made a steal for Miami off the ensuing inbounds and fed the ball to Williams who missed a layup but was fouled. She was able to convert just one of her two free throws to make it 54-53 with :13 to go.
Rousseau missed the first of a 1-and-1 at the other end, thus giving Miami one more chance to pull out the win. However, LaToya Cunningham's final desperation three at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim, thus giving the win to Maine.
Maine trailed just once in the contest and that was at 19-18 with 6:55 remaining in the first half. However, the Black Bears answered with an 11-0 run, sparked by four points from Tewksbury, to take a commanding 29-19 lead. The Black Bears, who took a 33-21 lead into the locker room at halftime, never trailed the rest of the way. |
