WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Maine overcame an eight-point deficit in the second half and extended its winning streak to 15 games with a 52-49 victory over Hartford in an America East women’s basketball game Wednesday afternoon.
For the first time this season, the Black Bears (5-0, 2-0 America East) trailed after one quarter and at halftime. Hartford (0-2, 0-2) led 33-25 midway through the third before Maine went on an 11-3 run, capped by a Dor Saar 3-pointer.
The Black Bears finally took their first lead of the game on a basket by Blanca Millan late in the third quarter and stayed in front the rest of the way, though their largest lead was five points.
Millan finished with 22 points, six rebounds and five steals, Saar scored 13 points, and Anne Simon got all 10 of her points in the second half.
Millan moved into seventh place on Maine’s all-time scoring list with 1,678 points, passing Sigi Koizar, and climbed to fourth on the steals list with 280, ahead of her coach, Amy Vachon.
Maine, which still isn’t allowed to host games because of coronavirus restrictions, is next scheduled to play twice at New Hampshire on Jan. 2-3.
(6) ARIZONA 96, IDAHO 42: Shaina Pellington scored 16 points, and Helena Puejo got all of her 14 points in the first half to lead the Wildcats (6-0) past the Vandals (3-3) in Tucson, Arizona.
(19) INDIANA 75, MINNESOTA 54: Mackenzie Holmes of Gorham and Jaelynn Penn scored 19 points apiece, and the Hoosiers (4-2, 2-0 Big Ten) defeated the Golden Gophers (1-4, 0-3) in Minneapolis.
Holmes shot 9 of 13 from the field and had three blocks. She converted a layup 10 seconds into the second quarter to give the Hoosiers the lead. Penn followed with a 3-pointer in a 14-2 run that made it 29-18.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
(5) VILLANOVA 85, MARQUETTE 68: Collin Gillespie scored 22 points and sank six 3-pointers as the Wildcats (8-1, 3-0 Big East) routed the Golden Eagles (5-5, 1-3) in Milwaukee.
(8) TENNESSEE 80, USC UPSTATE 60: Victor Bailey scored 18 points as the Volunteers (6-0) defeated the Spartans (0-8) in Knoxville, Tennessee.
(23) OHIO STATE 80, (11) RUTGERS 68: Duane Washington Jr. scored 22 points, and the Buckeyes (7-1, 1-1 Big Ten), rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to beat the Scarlet Knights (6-1, 2-1) in Columbus, Ohio.
(13) CREIGHTON 66, (12) XAVIER 61: Antwann Jones and Denzel Mahoney scored 13 points each to lead the Bluejays (7-2, 3-1 Big East) past the Musketeers (8-1, 1-1) in Omaha, Nebraska.
(18) ILLINOIS 98, PENN STATE 81: Ayo Dosunmu scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half to lead the visiting Illini (6-3, 2-1 Big Ten) past the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-2).
COVID-19 UPDATES: Georgia Tech’s game at UAB scheduled for Wednesday night was canceled because of positive COVID-19 tests and subsequent contact tracing within the UAB program. The game won’t be rescheduled.
Georgia Tech returns to action Dec. 30 with an Atlantic Coast Conference game against North Carolina at McCamish Pavilion.
• Syracuse’s game against No. 17 North Carolina that was scheduled for Jan. 2 has been postponed because the Orange remain on pause.
Syracuse stopped all basketball activities after members of Buffalo’s program tested positive for COVID-19 following the Orange’s overtime win Saturday against the Bulls. Syracuse’s games against Notre Dame and Wake Forest were subsequently postponed.
New York state has a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for those who are considered close contacts with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
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