AUGUSTA — Central Maine Community College made crossing halfcourt a chore Wednesday night.
When the University of Maine at Augusta did get to celebrate the joy of a field goal attempt, it was generally at an odd angle underneath the basket.
Defenders’ feet were positioned perfectly. One set of hands, sometimes two, flailed at the ball with passion and purpose.
Fastbreaks and outlet passes to easy deuce after easy deuce completed the clinic and sealed a 82-52 women’s basketball rout at Augusta Civic Center.
“That’s big. Even though that’s a 30-point win, they beat Southern Maine (Community College),” CMCC coach Mike Bridges said.
And Southern Maine is the only other team with fewer than two Yankee Conference losses, hinting at a decided disparity between the Mustangs (6-5 overall, 4-0 in conference) and the rest of the pack.
Central Maine confronted UMA with quickness out front, size down low and too many options everywhere.
Danielle McCusker led the Mustangs with 25 points and eight rebounds. Ariel McConkey and Pernille Pedersen each added 14 points. Pedersen chalked up eight rebounds and seven steals.
“We’re starting to work well together,” said McCusker, one of nine first-year players on the Central Maine roster.
Kayla Ellis controlled every facet of the game with eight points, nine steals and seven assists.
Ellis made eight of her thefts in the first half, when Central Maine forced 24 of UMA’s 35 turnovers.
“She was unbelievable,” Bridges said of Ellis. “That’s pretty typical.”
Katie Poirier paced the Moose (3-5) with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Ashley Peaslee chipped in 16 points and six steals.
Poirier nailed two free throws to put UMA on the board first.
Central Maine answered with eight straight points and pushed the lead to double digits for good at 17-6 when McConkey hit two free throws with 13:21 left in the half.
It was 42-18 at the break. At that point, UMA owned more turnovers (24) than field goal attempts (5-for-23). CMCC was 16-for-40 (40 percent) in the first-half flurry.
“Defensively we were just trying to push the ball up the court as much as we could so they couldn’t get back,” Ellis said.
Alex Donald scored eight of her 11 points in the first half for the Mustangs. Teira Durgin dropped in eight points, including a pair of second-half 3-pointers.
The Mustangs play a rematch with Vermont Tech before next Wednesday’s home date with SMCC.
“We have a chance to give ourselves some distance going into the holiday break,” Bridges said.
koakes@sunjournal.com
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- Central Maine Community College’s Kayla Ellis sucessfully steals the ball from University of Maine at Augusta’s Renee Nelson during the first half of their game Wednesday night at the Augusta Civic Center. For more photos of the game, visit www.sunjournal.com.
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- CMCC’s Danielle McCusker looks for a team mate to pass to past the defenses of UMA’s Katie Porier in the first half of their game Wednesday. For more photos, visit www.sunjournal.com.
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- Central Maine Community College’s Kayla Ellis makes a lay up past University of Maine at Augusta’s Jessica St. Amand during the first half of their game Wednesday night at the Augusta Civic Center. For more photos from the game, visit www.sunjournal.com.
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- UMA’s Katie Poirier blocks CMCC’s Ariel McConkey’s attempt at the hoop Wednesday in Augusta.
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