The University of Maine’s women’s basketball team received a game-high 16 points from junior guard Anne Simon, including a pair of important free throws with 35 seconds left, to lead the Black Bears to a hard-fought 53-45 America East victory over the University of New Hampshire Wednesday night at Lundholm Gym in Durham, New Hampshire.

UMaine improved to 7-10 overall, 4-3 in the conference, while UNH fell to 4-14, 1-6.

It was UMaine’s 13th win in the last 14 games against UNH.

Caroline Bornemann added 14 points and Maeve Carroll netted seven points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Olivia Rockwood had a pair of 3-pointers, Alba Orois produced five points, four assists and three rebounds and Paula Gallego had five points, four rebounds and two steals.

Simon also had eight steals in the game.

UNH was led by Sophia Widmeyer’s 11 points and eight rebounds, Helana Delaruelle’s 10 points, six rebounds and four steals and Amanda Torres’ 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.

UMaine took a 39-36 lead into the fourth quarter but didn’t score until Orois’ jumper made it 41-38 with 7:01 remaining and triggered a 9-0 run.

Bornemann’s 3-pointer following a Simon steal and pass made it 44-38 and UMaine capped the run with a Rockwood three and Simon free throw with 3:08 to go.

The 48-38 lead was UMaine’s largest of the game.

The Black Bears went cold and turned the ball over a couple of times and Dellaruelle nailed a three and a runner to slice the lead to 48-43.

Orois sank one of two free throws with 54 seconds left to make it 49-43.

Dellaruelle missed a three and Bornemann grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 42 seconds remaining.

She missed both free throws and then fouled Widmeyer five seconds later.

Widmeyer sank her two free throws to make it 49-45 but Simon was fouled two seconds later and hit both foul shots.

Widmeyer missed a three, Bornemann grabbed the rebound and then converted two free throws to sew up the win.

Neither team shot well. UMaine shot 34.7 percent from the floor (17-for-49) including a 31.8 percent showing behind the 3-point arc.

UNH was 35.6 percent from the floor (16-for-45) and 25 percent from long distance (2-for-8).

UNH outrebounded UMaine 33-31 but had five more turnovers (23-18).

UMaine outscored the Wildcats 25-13 in points off turnovers.

The Black Bear women scored the game’s first five points and led by as many as seven points in the first half before the Wildcats rallied in the second quarter to tie it on Widmeyer’s 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining.

But UMaine went on a 6-0 run and took a 31-26 lead into the intermission.

Carroll grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in to begin the spurt. Simon then stole the ball and converted a layup, and she added another layup off an Orois pass.

Delaruelle sank a free throw with two seconds left to cap the scoring.

UMaine will host Vermont on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

UNH will travel to Stony Brook for a Saturday afternoon game before hosting UMass Lowell on Monday night in a makeup game.