Owls play well in loss to MMA
PRESQUE ISLE – The University of Maine at Presque Isle Lady Owls battled to tough 77-73 loss against the Lady Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy Sunday afternoon in Wieden Gymnasium.
In their first game back following winter break, the Owls put together two solid halves while playing with poise and confidence against their opponents. After losing by 40 points to the Mariners in an early-season match-up in Castine, the Owls came out strong and earned a 34-33 halftime advantage before being outscored in the second half, 44-39.
UMPI shot an impressive 53 percent from the floor in the game, including a 60-percent effort from three-point land. The team shot 86 percent from the foul line. The battle of the boards was tight, with MMA earning the slight advantage, 29-28.
Freshman Renee Moore of Lisbon led the Owls with 16 points, going 6 for 12 from the floor in 25 minutes of play. Sophomore Emily Pelletier of Fort Kent tallied 14 points, while freshman Olivia McNally of Sherman chipped in with 11 points and two assists in 14 minutes of play.
Freshman Rashell Saucier of Washburn recorded her second double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to help her UMPI team in the losing effort. Point guard Emily Moore of Lisbon dished out a team-high of four assists on the day, while adding seven points. Freshman Kaci Hudson of Windsor chipped in with six points and three assists.
The Mariners’ Sam Goda led all scorers with 22 points while also pulling down nine boards. Maggie Smith tallied 21 points and seven rebounds in the MMA win. Casey McCloskey dished out a game-high of six assists.
The Mariners had a strong start to the second half and led by as much as 11 points, before the Owls chipped into their lead. The margin was just two with 30 seconds remaining in regulation before UMPI was forced to foul. With 15 seconds left on the clock, MMA knocked down both foul shots to make it a four-point, two-possession game. The Owls were able to go coast to coast and convert on another play, bringing the game to within two points with 2.3 seconds on the clock. However, the Mariners were able to convert on two more from the foul line to put the game at 77-73, where it stayed after a long three-point attempt by Emily Moore as time ran out.
The Lady Owls return to action on Thursday, Jan. 13 as they head to Brunswick to take on the 24th nationally-ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears. Game time is 7:30 p.m. On Friday, Jan. 14, UMPI opens up Sunrise Conference play at Vermont Tech College for a 6 p.m. game against the Green Knights. That will be followed by a conference match-up at the College of St. Joseph’s (Vt.) on Saturday, Jan. 15 at noon.
