The University of Maine women’s basketball team showed a glimpse into what could be a fruitful 2014-2015 season Saturday afternoon, enjoying an 81-41 exhibition rout of McGill at the Memorial Gym.
The Black Bears were led by fourth-year guard Courtney Anderson, who scored 19 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting from the field.
“I can take good shots, and that’s what I did today,” Anderson said. “When I do that, it makes things a lot easier for me and my teammates, too.”
McGill managed to stay with the Black Bears early, thanks to third-year center Alexandria Kiss-Rusk’s six points in the first 5minutes. The early points from Kiss-Rusk held the score to a 9-8 UMaine lead through 5minutes.
UMaine went on a 17-5 run beginning at 15:03, spearheaded by Anderson’s seven points during the stretch to increase the Black Bears’ lead to 27-15 halfway through the first frame.
The Black Bears tightened up defensively for the rest of the half, allowing just four more points while they cruised to a 46-19 halftime lead that was punctuated by a three-pointer from first-year guard Parise Rossignol.
“I thought our pressure, for the most part, was really good in the zone,” University of Maine head coach Richard Barron said. “We managed to rebound fairly well. I felt like that’ll be an effective defense for us, which we really haven’t had as an option for the first three years here.”
The Black Bears’ defense held the Martlets to 25.9 percent shooting from the field, while UMaine shot 55.4 percent and 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The scoring was well-spread out for the Black Bears at halftime, with no player in the double digits. Third-year forward Liz Wood helped Anderson facilitate the offense and lock down on defense early, dishing out four first-half assists and pulling down five boards. Wood would go on to score 15 points and grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds.
Messy play and a myriad of whistles highlighted the first 7minutes of the second half that saw the Black Bears extending their lead to 57-23.
The Martlets were able to keep pace for the rest of the contest, being outscored just 24-18 over the final 11:45. They were led by third-year forward Miriam Sylla, who pulled down 11 rebounds despite going 1-8 from the field.
Second-year UMaine forward Sheraton Jones had a strong showing, dishing out five assists and scoring four points. She also brought down five hard-fought rebounds.
Despite McGill having a height advantage, the Black Bears outscored the Martlets 40-8 in the paint.
“I don’t think it was perfect,” Wood said. “But I think it was promising. We had some really good plays and some bright moments that show what’s to come.”
The Black Bears will be back on the hardwood Nov. 10 when they host the University of New Brunswick at the Cross Insurance Center at 7 p.m.