Augusta, ME - With 8-minutes to go in the 1st half, the Lady Mustangs found themselves with 3 starters with multiple fouls, and still searching for answers. In addition to the foul trouble, CM shot a dismal 31% from the floor, and were out-rebounded by +12 in the 1st half, yet still went into the break tied 29-29. The pace of play picked up in the 2nd half, and CM surged, outscoring UMA 25-5 in the final quarter to pull away for the 75-56 win.
Four Mustang starters scored in double-figures with Brooke Reynolds (Poland, ME) leading the way to the tune of 22 points, 7 steals, and 6 rebounds. Alex Bessey (Jay, ME) netted 15 points while hitting 8 of 10 foul shots, and Jordyn Reynolds (Poland, ME) recorded a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Kristina Blais played her best game of the season running the show for the Lady Mustangs, scoring 10 points and dishing out 6 assists.
Kristen Huntress (Harrison, ME) hit two 3's off the bench for 6 points, and in her first action of the year, Holly Decourcey (Billerica, MA) tallied 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 12-minutes of action.
Caitlin LaFountain led the Moose with a monster double-double, 20 points and game-highs of 20 rebounds and 8 blocks.
Coming into the game, UMaine-Augusta was 2-0 averaging 88 points and 12 made 3's per game. The Lady Mustangs held the Moose to 6 of 23 shooting from beyond the arc, forcing many deep 3's well beyond the 3-point line.
Head Women's Basketball Coach, Andrew Morong, on the win, "We knew we did not want to get into a 3-point shooting contest with them, and we thought our length would bother them, and it did... eventually. For whatever reason, we did not seemed mentally prepared to play early on, and at this level, that certainly cannot happen. UMA played very scrappy, and were certainly not intimidated. Even though they kept up with us in the 3rd quarter, I am pleased with the way we responded in the 2nd half. We pushed the tempo, and kept a solid rotation of players moving in and out of the game, which gassed UMA. Shots they hit in the first half, were not connecting in the 2nd half, and that had everything to do with the frenzy pace of the game. Bottom line, if we continue to start games like this, we are going to be in some tough situations - we need to get going out of the gate with more intensity, discipline, and focus, and that is my responsibility."
With the win the Lady Mustangs move to 3-1 on the year, and 2-0 in the Yankee Conference. They will be back in action with a weekend double-header; Saturday they play host to the Black Sheep of Hampshire College (2:00pm), and on Sunday they head to Warwick, RI for what should be a fierce battle with the Knights of CCRI (1:00pm).
