Sophie Weckstrom made two free throws with three seconds remaining on Saturday afternoon, helping the University of Maine women’s basketball team hold on for a 58-55 America East women’s basketball victory over Stony Brook at Stony Brook, New York.
The Black Bears built a 10-point lead in the second half, then withstood a determined challenge by the Seawolves over the last five minutes.
It was the third straight win for coach Richard Barron’s UMaine team (11-7, 3-1 AE), which was led by the efforts of sophomore guard Sigi Koizar and junior forward Liz Wood.
Koizar shot 8-for-13 on her way to a game- and career-high 23 points and also had six rebounds, three steals and an assist. Wood finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
Mikaela Gustafsson and Weckstrom chipped in five points each for UMaine, which shot 49 percent (20-for-41) from the floor and went 16-for-22 (73 percent) from the foul line.
Sabre Proctor paced Stony Brook (9-8, 2-2 AE) with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Chris Scognamiglio posted 13 points and three steals and Brittany Snow added 12 points and five rebounds.
The Seawolves outrebounded the Bears 34-24, grabbing 12 offensive boards while scoring 15 second-chance points. UMaine scored 15 points off the hosts’ 14 turnovers.
UMaine pulled in front for good midway through the second half, spearheaded by the play of Wood.
The Bears led 34-31 before turning in a 7-0 burst, with all the points scored by Wood. She opened the run with two foul shots, then made a layup on the front of a conventional three-point play after a Stony Brook turnover.
Wood followed with another layup off a turnover to give UMaine a 41-31 lead with 10:12 remaining. That run came after SBU went into the bonus with 11:36 remaining. The hosts wound up going 8-for-12 from the line the rest of the way.
The Seawolves eventually responded with a 14-1 surge that included eight points by Proctor, whose two free throws cut the deficit to 51-48 with 48 seconds remaining. UMaine’s Koizar and SBU’s Miranda Jenkins traded layups and Koizar added two foul shots.
However, Proctor drilled a 3-pointer with 20 seconds to play, getting SBU within two at 55-53.
Gustafsson made it a three-point game by converting the first of two free throws at the 19-second mark, but the hosts closed to within one after Snow was fouled on the third shot of their next possession and sank both foul shots to make it 56-55 with three seconds to play.
Weckstrom was fouled and made both shots, before Snow’s 3-pointer missed at the buzzer.
UMaine returns for home games on Monday at 3:30 p.m. against Binghamton and Thursday at 5:30 against Vermont. Each is the second of a doubleheader with the men’s team at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.