The University of Maine women’s basketball team welcomed the return of reigning America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Anne Simon back to the lineup after an eight-game absence due to a high ankle sprain.
Simon looked like she had never missed a game.
The senior from Luxembourg scored 19 points to complement junior forward Caroline Bornemann’s 22 points and sophomore forward Adi Smith’s 19 as the Black Bears beat the University of New Hampshire 80-67 at the Memorial Gym on Wednesday night.
Simon, who hadn’t played since reinjuring her ankle at Binghamton on Jan. 21, also had five steals, dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds.
She logged 30 minutes and 22 seconds of playing time.
“It was nice to have Anne back,” said UMaine coach Amy Vachon. “I thought she played really well. She played within herself.
“It’s hard to be out so long and want to come back and be where you are at when you’re at your peak,” Vachon said. “The five steals and four assists were just as important if not more important than her 19 points.”
Impressive freshman Avery O’Connor had 21 points for UNH, Adara Groman had 16 and Breezie Williams scored 13.
The win assures the Black Bears of earning the third or fourth seed and hosting an America East quarterfinal on Wednesday, March 1.
UMaine is now 14-13 overall and 10-5 in conference play while UNH, fighting to earn one of the last two playoff berths, fell to 7-20 and 2-13.
UMaine outscored UNH 20-13 in the third period to build a 67-49 lead and had to withstand a fourth-quarter comeback by UNH that sliced the lead to 10.
UMaine led 47-36 in a free-wheeling first half in which the two teams combined to shoot 50 percent from the floor (32-for-64).
UMaine led by as many as 15 but the scrappy Wildcats stayed within striking distance as UMaine took a 47-36 lead into the intermission thanks to a pair of free throws by Simon with 1.3 seconds left in the half..
Bornemann had 14 points in the first half, Simon had 13 and Smith added 10.
Groman’s 11 points, O’Connor’s eight and Paige Cote’s six paced UNH.
