CONCORD, N.H.-Top-seeded University of Maine at Fort Kent successfully defended their title on Sunday as they beat No. 2 University of Maine at Presque Isle 64-32 to win the Sunrise conference women’s basketball championship at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord.
The Bengals (23-5) earned a berth in the NAIA Division II National Championship March 11-17 in Sioux City, Iowa.
Fort Kent led 31-18 at halftime while shooting 57 percent from the floor (11 for 19).
The Bengals dominated the second half as well holding the Owls to just 14 points.
Fort Kent also won the battle of the glass as they out rebounded Presque Isle 46-21.
Freshman Emily Moore (Lisbon, ME) and Kathy Kilfoil (Johnville, ME) each scored seven points to pace the Owls. Moore added four rebounds. Erica Davis (North Yarmouth, ME) supplied six points, nine rebounds and three steals. Whitney Flint (Ashland, ME) also had six points along with three rebounds.
Ashley Ames collected her conference-leading 17 double-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.
Ames was 7-for-11 from the floor and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line as the Bengals shot 85 percent from the stripe.
Kristen Violette continued her hot shooting for Fort Kent sinking 4 of 5 shots from the field to finish with 12 points and four rebounds.
Violette missed just three shots in the semifinals against Fisher College. Talisha Herring added 11 points and seven assists and Amber Garrison contributed nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Before falling to Fort Kent, the Owls used a 7-0 run late in the second half to pull out a 64-53 win over No. 3 SUNY Canton in the second semifinal of the Sunrise Conference women’s basketball championships at New Hampshire Technical Institute on Saturday.
The game was closer than the final score would indicate as the lead see-sawed back and forth over the final 10 minutes of regulation.
The Owls were ahead 50-49 when Presque Isle’s Karen Creighton (Sussex, NB) pulled down an offensive rebound off a missed free throw.
Creighton was fouled and hit one free throw that ignited the decisive run by the Owls that put the game away.
The Roos went cold from the floor down the stretch hitting just two baskets in the final four minutes.
The Owls did an excellent job of denying the Roos any second-chance opportunities with strong rebounding on both ends of the floor.
SUNY Canton led for most of the first 20 minutes thanks to nine first-half points from Jackie Maynard.
The Owls trailed 24-13 with 7:35 left but then outscored the Roos 11-8 to close the half and a basket from Megan Korhonen (Littleton, ME) with four seconds left made it 32-24 Roos at the half.
The lead was quickly wiped out thanks to a 10-0 Owls run to start the second half setting up a close back-and-forth game.
Korhonen had 10 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 18 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Davis recorded her 15th double-double of the year with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six steals.
Moore added 12 points and three rebounds and Flint supplied 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Maynard finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Roos.
Julie Vander Wiel scored nine points. Teresa Morley contributed six points and six rebounds and Kristi Farrell chipped in with five points and three assists.
