VEAZIE, Maine (Interstat) — Maine used a balanced effort to secure a 58-43 victory over Maryland-Baltimore County in a women’s basketball game Thursday at Cross Insurance Center. The Black Bears improved to 7-9 overall behind 19 points and six assists from Adrianna Smith. Asta Blauenfeldt added 13 points and Sarah Talon scored 13 for Maine, which led 29-25 at halftime and pulled away in the second half. Heidi Williams scored 16 points for the Retrievers, who fell to 5-9. Jade Tillman added 13 points. UMBC struggled offensively, shooting just 29.3% from the floor. Maine shot 44% and outscored UMBC 32-26 in the paint. Attendance was 809.

VEZAIE, Maine (Interstat) — In a game defined by defensive pressure and offensive struggles, the Maine women’s basketball team methodically pulled away from Maryland-Baltimore County for a 58-43 victory in an America East Conference matchup Thursday night at Cross Insurance Center. The Black Bears, led by a dominant performance from Adrianna Smith, improved to 7-9 overall. The Retrievers, who shot just 29.3% from the field, fell to 5-9. The contest was a defensive grind from the opening tip. Both teams combined for 42 turnovers, with Maine committing 23 and UMBC 19. The Retrievers’ pressure defense, which generated 12 steals, kept them within striking distance for much of the first half by converting those Maine miscues into 23 points. However, UMBC’s own inability to score consistently proved insurmountable. The most important stretch of the game came late in the second quarter, when Maine began to establish control. After UMBC’s Heidi Williams hit a turnaround jumper to pull the Retrievers within 20-18 with 7:51 remaining in the half, the Black Bears responded with a decisive 9-2 run. Asta Blauenfeldt sparked the surge with a putback layup, followed by a Sarah Talon jumper. After a pair of free throws from UMBC’s Tiara Bellamy, Blauenfeldt connected on a jump shot and Olivia Alvarez found Adrianna Smith for a hook shot in the lane, pushing Maine’s lead to 29-20. UMBC never recovered from that separation. The Retrievers went into halftime down 29-25 and managed only 18 points in the entire second half. Maine’s defense tightened further, holding UMBC to 10 points in the third quarter and eight in the fourth, while the Black Bears steadily expanded their advantage. Smith, a junior from Reston, Virginia, was the engine for Maine. She finished with a game-high 19 points, six assists and five defensive rebounds in 35 minutes, orchestrating the offense and capitalizing in the paint. She was complemented by backcourt mate Asta Blauenfeldt of Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, who added 13 points and four assists. Sarah Talon, a local product from Windham, Maine, also chipped in 13 points. For UMBC, the offensive burden fell heavily on Heidi Williams. The sophomore from Prince George County, Maryland, scored 16 points, but needed 34 minutes of work to do so against a stout Maine interior defense. Jade Tillman of Rockville, Maryland, was the only other Retriever in double figures with 13 points. The team’s shooting woes were comprehensive; they made only 1 of 8 attempts from three-point range and were outscored 32-26 in the paint. Maine’s interior defense, anchored by Lizzy Gruber’s four blocked shots, was particularly disruptive. The Black Bears recorded six blocks as a team and consistently altered UMBC shots near the rim. While Maine’s offensive efficiency was not spectacular, with a rating of 77.2 points per 100 possessions, it was more than enough against a UMBC attack that mustered a rating of just 57.6. The Retrievers’ effort on the glass, where they secured eight offensive rebounds to Maine’s four, and their points-off-turnovers edge provided brief flashes of hope. However, their inability to execute in the half-court and string together scoring possessions allowed Maine to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the final 20 minutes. The game was played before an announced crowd of 809. Both teams return to conference play on Saturday. Maine will host NJIT, while UMBC travels to face New Hampshire.

Preview: UMBC Retrievers at Maine Black Bears VEAZIE, Maine (Interstat) — Two America East women’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Thursday when the Maine Black Bears host the UMBC Retrievers at Cross Insurance Center. Both squads enter the conference matchup looking to rebound from recent losses and climb above .500 in league play. Maine (6-9) fell 82-73 at Bryant on Saturday, while UMBC (5-8) dropped a close 80-75 decision to NJIT on Jan. 1. The game features a compelling duel between two of the conference’s top scorers. Maine’s Adrianna Smith has been on a remarkable run, averaging 24.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists over her last five games. She poured in a season-high 37 points in a win over UMass Lowell on New Year’s Day and followed with 27 points, five rebounds and five assists in the loss to Bryant. UMBC will counter with Jade Tillman, who is coming off a 25-point performance against NJIT. Tillman has shown explosive scoring ability, including a 23-point outing in just 20 minutes during a 104-22 rout of Notre Dame on Dec. 30. The Retrievers have struggled for consistency, alternating wins and losses over their past six games. Their offense, however, can be potent, as shown in the century-mark performance against Notre Dame. Maine has found a rhythm offensively in the new year, averaging 73 points in its two January games, but will look to tighten a defense that allowed 82 points to Bryant. The Black Bears have been strong at home this season, boasting a 4-2 record in Veazie. This contest opens a critical January stretch for both programs as they jockey for position in the America East standings. The teams will meet again in Baltimore on Feb. 12. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Thursday.