WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – What looked like another scare from Hartford turned into a laugher for the University of Maine.
Tied at halftime, the top-seeded Black Bears followed the lead of America East Player of the Year Heather Ernest and did something that didn’t come naturally during the regular season, putting away the hometown, No. 8 Hawks 71-51 in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament Thursday night at Chase Family Arena.
Slowed by early foul trouble, Ernest erupted for 14 of her game-high 20 points after intermission. The junior from Temple also concluded with 15 rebounds as Maine (24-4) avenged first-round losses to Hartford in each of the past two seasons.
The Black Bears, who are now two wins away from their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2000, meet the winner of Thursday’s late New Hampshire-Stony Brook game at 6:05 p.m. in tonight’s semifinals.
Maine’s difficulties with Hartford weren’t limited to last winter. In order to complete its first unbeaten America East campaign in seven years, the Black Bears warded off the Hawks in overtime at home and blew most of a double-digit lead before squeaking out a 68-63 victory in the rematch.
The third time turned out to be the charm, but not before Maine chased the defending conference champions with an 11-2 run early in the second half.
Hartford scored first after the break, snagging a 28-26 lead on a jumper by Liz Stich.
Ernest and Kim Corbitt answered with a bucket apiece to put Maine ahead to stay. Erika Messam’s free throw closed Hartford within one, but a Corbitt free throw kicked off a run of seven unanswered points by the Black Bears.
Two traditional 3-point plays followed, one by Ernest and another from Miced the Hartford gap to six, but another 3-point play by Ernest and a Monica Peterson lay-up made it 42-31 with 12 minutes left. Three free throws — one by Ernest and a pair by Peterson — inflated the lead to 53-38 with 6:12 to go.
Peterson and Julie Veilleux each finished with 14 points and seven rebounds for Maine. Corbitt added 11 points and dished out seven assists.
Hartford held Maine’s Melissa Heon to 1-for-12 shooting, but as a team, Maine connected at more than 42 percent from the floor. The Black Bears also hammered out a 46-29 advantage on the boards and went 12-for-15 from the free-throw line.
Miller and Cheri Eleazer led the Hawks with 12 points each, but they were a combined 6-for-21. Maine held Hartford to 21-62 (32.7 percent) proficiency.
Messam added eight points and six assists for Hartford, which drew two quick fouls on Ernest and kept her on the bench for eight minutes in the first half.
Maine surged to a 10-4 lead thanks to an 8-0 run fueled by its transition game. Ernest got it going with a fastbreak lay-up and Veilleux chalked up three consecutive hoops, two as a result of turnovers.
Corbitt and Ernest each added another lay-up, and Veilleux’s bucket gave Maine its first double-digit lead at 22-12 with 7:23 to go.
Miller swiped away Maine’s momentum with a 3-pointer, and Hartford ended the half on an 8-0 run.
Abby Schrader’s jumper with 3:29 to play represented Maine’s last basket before the buzzer.
Eleazer hit two free throws for Hartford. Anne Whalen nailed a trey with 1:27 to go, and Bridget Murray drained another with 16 seconds remaining.
Angie Pezzetta blocked a Corbitt bid to retake the lead as the horn sounded.
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