HACKENSACK, N.J. — The University of Maine women’s basketball team combined hot 3-point shooting with a strong defensive effort to defeat Coppin State 66-55 to conclude the FDU Christmas Classic on Sunday afternoon.
The Black Bears hit 15 of 38 three-point shots as Caroline Bornemann and Caroline Dotsey each tallied 17 points in the victory. For Dotsey, the scoring performance marked her third straight game in double-digits. Olivia Rockwood added 11 points with three triples.
Defensively, the Black Bears forced 22 turnovers and held Coppin State to 18-of-47 from the floor and just 2-of-11 from three point range. Maine posted 36 points off turnovers. UMaine improved its record to 5-8 with the win.
Coppin State was led by Laila Lawrence’s 27-point, 10-rebound effort. Cire Worley added 13 points for the Eagles (9-7).
The Black Bears, who ended the first quarter on an 11-2 run, took the lead with 3:02 left in the opening stanza and never trailed again.
Trailing by two with 3:40 on the clock in the first, a triple from Dotsey started Maine’s 11-2 sprint and gave the Black Bears a 9-8 lead. The run continued with a bucket from Bornemann before Jaycie Christopher knocked down a transition three. Sera Hodgson’s three at the first quarter buzzer gave Maine a 17-10 edge after one.
Rockwood’s three with 5:39 left in the first half gave Maine its first double-digit lead, 22-12.
Coppin State’s 10-1 run to end the half trimmed its deficit to just one, 25-24, at the break.
Maine began the third quarter with an 8-0 run. Bornemann’s triple and a layup by the graduate forward started the run before Paula Gallego’s three pushed Maine’s lead out to 33-24 early in the second half.
The Eagles answered again, this time trimming the Maine lead down to three. However, the Black Bears again responded with threes from Rockwood and Hodgson before a bucket from Bornemann gave Maine an 8-0 run and an 11-point advantage.
Maine’s lead would be eight after three quarters.
Following a bucket from Coppin State to start the fourth, the Black Bears put together a short 5-0 run. The sprint, aided by a layup by Bornemann and a triple from Asta Blauenfeldt, gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the afternoon at 52-40.
The lead grew to 15 on back-to-back triples from Dotsey with 3:04 remaining.
UMaine cruised down the stretch, securing the victory in its final non-conference game of the season.
UMaine opens America East play at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2 when it travels to take on UMass Lowell.
