FORT KENT, ME
The UMPI Women's Basketball team turned left out of campus for the first time this season and headed north for a change. The UMFK Bengals defeated the Owls at home earlier in the season 86-55 back on December 4th. It was a much different game this time, but unfortunately for the Owls it had the same result with the Bengals prevailing in the end after a close battle.
How it Happened:
The Bengals got off to a fast start, making four of their first five shots to go up 10-2. The Owls chipped their way back in it, going on a 9-2 run before UMFK expanded their lead to six again. Despite the Bengals making shots, UMPI shot even better at 53% from the field in the first quarter including four threes. It was a very high scoring first quarter, and the Bengals found themselves in front 25-22 after 1. In the second quarter the game continued to be a battle as the Owls kept making shots, going 50% from the field in the frame and eventually were able to take a slim lead with under a minute left up 39-35. The Bengals tied it before the half expired at 39.
In the second half, the back-and-forth trend remained. Teams traded baskets pretty much the entire quarter, and it was still a tie game after three at 55 apiece. In the fourth is where things began to go wrong for the Owls. They started to go cold from the field and were unable to answer Fort Kent like they had the whole game up until then. The Bengals crawled out to a seven-point lead with 4:14 to go. Eventually the Bengals were able to grow it to eight points at 72-64 with under a minute to go. The Owls were unable to mount a comeback and fell by a score of 72-66.
Top Performers:
Anaira Ayala continued her fantastic season leading the Owls with 23 points. She had six threes on the day. Alexis Ireland put an exclamation point on her already remarkable career at UMPI when she sunk two free throws in the fourth quarter to pass previous all-time leading scorer Deb Draper ('89-'93). Ireland now has 1,348 points and counting. She finished the day with 19 points and 13 rebounds throughout her 37 minutes on the floor. Lindsay Hamilton had a great day for UMPI, scoring the Owls first six points. She'd finish the day with 12.
Next Up:
UMPI falls to 4-16 overall and will bring it on home for one last time this season when they host U-Maine Augusta for their senior day on Saturday at 1 p.m.
