Maine women fall to top-ranked Albany

BANGOR — It came down to the final seconds but the University of Maine women’s basketball team (14-12, 8-5 America East) dropped a tight 58-56 decision to the top-seeded Albany Great Danes (23-3, 13-0 AE) on Sunday afternoon. Cherrish Wallace led all scorers with 16 points and five assists while Liz Wood added 10 points and six rebounds.

Maine, who shot 36.1-percent from the floor, received great numbers off its bench led by Anna Heise’s nine points and four rebounds. The storyline came from the free throw line as Albany went 14-for-21 and Maine knocked down all five free throws it took.

Albany used an 8-0 run to take its largest lead of the game, 25-16, with 6:19 left in the opening half. Maine began to battle back as Wood and Wallace knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the lead down to four. After a Great Dane bucket, Maine pieced together a 9-2-run to take the lead. Roberts drove the lane and hit a bucket while drawing a foul. After a made free throw, Sigi Koizar hit a 3-pointer to knot the score. Following another Albany make, Lauren Bodine stroked a three from the right wing to put Maine on top, 31-30; a lead it would take into the halftime break.

The Black Bears return to action when they head to the road to take on Stony Brook at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Messalonskee semifinal basketball tickets on sale

OAKLAND — Tickets for the Messalonskee basketball semifinal games will be sold at the high school in the Athletic Office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday. Prices are $8 for adults and $5 for students/senior citizens. The girls will be playing Oxford Hills at 2:30 p.m.Wednesday. If the boys win their quarterfinal game today, they will play at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.