Black Bears Outlast Big Green, 72-61

Wednesday, November 29

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

Maine

11/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. - The Maine women's basketball team (5-1) went 11-14 from the free throw line in the last two minutes to seal a 72-61 victory over Dartmouth (0-5) this evening at Leede Arena. The Big Green was forced to foul late in the game but could not catch up to the Black Bears in the waning minutes of the contest.

Sophomore guard Koren Schram (Batesville, Ark.) made her first career start and led the team with 18 points including five made three-pointers for the second consecutive game. Three other Dartmouth players scored in double figures but it was not enough as Maine's Bracey Barker exploded for 17 points in the second half after being shut out in the first.

Maine got off to a quick start, building an 11-4 lead in the first six minutes. Junior Sydney Scott (Houston, Texas) kicked off a 15-2 run that gave the Big Green a 19-13 lead at the 6:00 mark. All five starters scored for Dartmouth during the run.

Maine's Lindsey Hudstad-Vaa stopped the bleeding with a jumper at 5:44, but Dartmouth would outscore the visitors 7-4 for the balance of the half to take a 26-19 lead into the locker room. This marked the first time all season that the Big Green has led at the break.

Dartmouth kicked off the second half with a bang as Schram drilled back-to-back triples on the first two possessions to go up 32-23. The Black Bears slowly fought back and went on an 8-1 run to take back the lead that they would hold onto, up 42-41 at 9:50.

Maine capitalized on Dartmouth's second half foul trouble by rotating in fresh legs while the Big Green was unable to freely substitute. The Black Bears went up by as many as nine points, 52-43 at 5:23, but the Big Green chipped away at the lead. A layup by Fatima Kamara (Carrollton, Texas) and a triple by Schram pulled Dartmouth to within six with just over two minutes remaining, but Maine hit its free throws down the stretch to pull away late.

The Big Green forced 18 turnovers by the Black Bears, but committed 16 of its own. Maine out-rebounded Dartmouth, 41-33 for the contest.

Kamara finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Dartmouth while Scott added 12 points and eight boards. Senior guard Ashley Taylor (Cookeville, Tenn.) snagged a career-high six steals and scored eight points. She is now 13 points away from 1,000.

Barker led Maine with 17, while Katie Whittier was the game's high rebounder with 12.

The Dartmouth women have a 10-day lay-off for final exams before heading to Northeastern on Dec. 9.