PRESQUE ISLE, ME
The UMPI Women's basketball team took to the floor for the first time in over three weeks after the semester break. They did so on their home floor, hosting Lesley University out of Cambridge Massachusetts for the first time ever in Women's Basketball. It proved to be a game of runs as both teams traded blows throughout the game, but UMPI surrendered the lead In the end, the Owls proved to outlast the Lynx and closed out the game strong winning 71-64.
How it Happened:
UMPI played from ahead, jumping out to a 13-7 lead for most of the first quarter, that lead would be 15-11 after one. The second quarter saw Lesley take their first lead with under three minutes to go, but UMPI took it back closing out the quarter on a 7-2 run to lead by four once again going into the locker room. The third quarter followed a similar pattern of runs with the Owls taking a lead, before Lesley chipped away back into it. It was a two-point UMPI lead going into the fourth. It was neck and neck until the last four minutes when the Owls at last started to pull away. Despite being outrebound slightly and Lesley outscoring UMPI in transition 24-9, the Owls did enough to hang on for the seven-point victory.
Top Performers:
The Owls got a lot of production from their starting five in this game. Alexis Ireland paced the way with 21 points and an outstanding 23 rebounds. She sits atop the North Atlantic Conference in scoring and rebounding and is among the nation's leaders in rebounds per game. Anaira Ayala had another good shooting day, contributing 19 points and burying three three-pointers to balance Ireland's performance in the paint. Lindsay Hamilton finished the day with 14 points and went 2-3 beyond the arc showcasing some great versatility. Jovanna Oliva had a strong game with 10 points, six assists and three steals. Camryn Ala rounded out the scoring for the Owls contributing seven points.
Next Up:
The Owls improved to 2-8 overall and more importantly pick up their first conference win improving to 1-2 in NAC play.
UMPI will take on a challenging road week and beginning in upstate New York with SUNY Delhi on Sunday January 12th.
