Owls win twice in Star City Classic
PRESQUE ISLE — Emily Pelletier came off a screen to the left of the top of the key with 11 seconds remaining, stepped back and calmly drained a three-pointer to give the UM-Presque Isle Owls a 73-71 lead over visiting Thomas College.
Moments later, after a Megan Pelletier miss on the other end, Owl Amanda Hotham got the rebound, was fouled, went to the free throw line and calmly drained both ends of the one-and-one to give UMPI a 75-71 victory.
The game was the final one of the weekend’s Star City Classic, hosted by Owls. The win improves the team’s mark to 4-9 on the season and 4-1 in the new year.
Thomas fell to 3-10.
Hotham, a freshman from Fort Fairfield, scored 15 points for the winners, with 12 coming in the game’s final eight minutes. Teammate Olivia McNally, a junior from Sherman, also had 15 as well as seven assists, while Randi Kaplan scored a season-high 14 and Pelletier added 10.
Megan Pelletier led Thomas with 22 points.
On Saturday, the Owls downed Fisher College, 80-47, behind Pelletier’s 22 points. Doni Yendriga added 15, Hotham 12 and McNally 11 as well as eight rebounds and six assists.
In the other tourney contests, UM-Fort Kent beat Fisher Sunday, 86-63, after downing Thomas Saturday, 71-67.
Emily Pelletier was named the MVP of the Star City Classic. Both Kaplan and Hotham were also named to the all-tournament team, along with Megan Pelletier, Fisher’s Javana Bernard and UM-Fort Kent’s Sam Carapellucci and Taylor Boucher.
Last Tuesday, UMPI was beaten at home by Bates College of Lewiston, 80-38.
UMPI’s next game is today against Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor beginning at 5 p.m.
The Owl men played just one game this past week, and the result was an 86-64 loss at Bowdoin College in Brunswick last Tuesday. Bryan Hurley dished out 17 assists and Keegan Pieri had 23 points for the Polar Bears.
Patrick Manifold’s 20 points and 11 rebounds were tops for the Owls. Claude Louis added 13 points for the 7-8 Owls, who next play tonight in Bangor against EMCC beginning at 7 p.m.
Home games against Daemen College of New York, the University of Maine at Augusta and Eastern Nazarene University are scheduled Friday, Saturday and Monday for both the Owl women’s and men’s teams.
