Maine-Farmington earns NCAA berth with NAC Tournament win over Maine Maritime

Box Score

The Beavers of UMaine Farmington defeated the Lady Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy by a score of 55-53 to win the North Atlantic Conference Championship and book their place in the NCAA Division III tournament.

In a closely fought game, both teams played hard with the Lady Mariners having the advantage for most of the first half. Julia Knights, (Brookton, ME), and Alyssa Burns (Dixfield, ME) paced the early Lady Mariner attack, and at the 12:77 mark it was Knights with a lay up who gave MMA their biggest lead of the half at 16-9. The UMaine Farmington Beavers didn’t stop battling though, and with 4:06 left in the half Karen Sirois, (Augusta, ME) was fouled as she drove to the basket for two. The basket counted and Sirois made the free throw to knot the game at 23-23. The teams traded baskets for the final couple of minutes, and after a Beaver timeout, Erin Johnson (Bailey Island, ME) grabbed a big rebound and converted as time ran out in the half to give the visitors a 29-27 lead.

In the second half it was the Lady Mariners who were playing catch up, with Ashley Hayden, (Bangor, ME) scoring two consecutive baskets around the 12:00 minute mark to help keep her team close. But at the
9:24 mark it was Sirois with a steal, and then the conversion by Samantha Wiley, (Lincolnville, ME) that gave the Beavers their biggest lead of the game at 49-43. The Lady Mariners were persistent though, and with 5:38 to go, two Julia Knights’ free throws brought MMA level again at 50-50. A Kari Simpson, (Wells, ME) free throw gave UMF a one point lead, before a Julia Knights’ jumper grabbed the lead again for MMA at 52-51. Simpson knocked down two clutch free throws to restore the UMF lead, before Knights tied it up again with one of her own at the 1:54 mark. Melissa Sawyer, (Oakland, ME) hit a big basket with 1:40 to go to give the lead back to the Beavers, and although MMA got the ball back and had a chance to score with 8.9 seconds left, the Beavers held on for the 55-53 win.

Leading the way for the NCAA tournament bound 24-4 UMaine Farmington Beavers were NAC Tournament MVP Kari Simpson with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 4 steals. Guard Karen Sirois joined Simpson on the All-Tournament team after she contributed 12 points and 6 steals in the UMF victory. For the Lady Mariners Julia Knights had a game- high 23 points to go along with her 7 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
Alyssa Burns chipped in with 9 points as the Lady Mariners fell to
23-5 on the year.

2006 North Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball All- Tournament Team
Jenn Whiting - Castleton State College
Theresa Allen - Lasell College
Julia Knights - Maine Maritime Academy
Shelley Gott - Maine Maritime Academy
Karen Sirois - UMaine Farmington
Kari Simpson - UMaine Farmington

Tournament MVP
Kari Simpson - UMaine Farmington

February 24, 2006

Lady Mariners beat Castleton State to advance to NAC Championship game

Box Score

The Lady Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy took on the Castleton State College Spartans in Castine, ME this evening in a North Atlantic Conference semi-final match-up, and in a hard fought game, prevailed by a score of 60-41.

In a scrappy first half it was the Lady Mariners who set the early pace with Shelley Gott, (Tremont, ME) scoring the first five points for the home team. Meghan Marshall, (Madawaska, ME) followed up with the next four MMA points, and after a Rebecca Moore (Winthrop, ME) three the Lady Mariners held an 15-4 lead. The Spartans refused to go away though, going on an 8-0 run that was fuelled by five points from Mary Nienow, (Middlebury, VT) and after a three from Carley Amedore, (Schenectady, NY), the lead was cut to three. With 7:05 left in the half it was the Spartans who took the lead on another three pointer, this time by guard Jessica Banks, (Milford, CT). Two Shelley Gott free throws tied the score at 22 apiece with 3:40 to go, and it was the Lady Mariners who then went on a run, outscoring the Spartans by
7-3 for a 29-25 half time lead.

The Lady Mariners opened the second half with a surge, outscoring Castleton on an 11-5 run that took the game to the 14:34 mark. Alicia Buggiani, (Proctor, VT) scored on a lay up at the 13:37 mark, but it was Maine Maritime who cruised from there on in the game. The Lady Mariners stifled the Spartan scoring attack, limiting them to 9 points over the last 14:24 of the game.

Shelley Gott finished with a game-high 17 points, and Julia Knights chipped in with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Leading the way for Castleton were Mary Nienow with 15 points, and Jenn Whiting with 10 points.

The MMA Lady Mariners up their season record to 23-4, and the Castleton State College Spartans end their season at 17-10.

February 24, 2006

Maine-Farmington defeats Lasell College to secure spot in NAC semi- finals

Box Score

The Beavers of Maine-Farmington defeated the Lasell College Lasers by a score of 81-64 to book their place in the North Atlantic Conference Championship game against the Maine Maritime Lady Mariners tomorrow at 1:00pm in Castine.

The game opened with a flurry, both teams scoring early and often.

After trading baskets for the first few minutes, the game was tied at 11 when Kari Simpson, (Wells, ME) stole the ball and executed at the other end on a lay up. A Simpson three at 14:12 gave UMF the lead, but the Lasers wouldn’t go away, and after trading baskets several times, the game was tied at 25 on a Theresa Allen, (South Boston, MA) free throw. The Maine-Farmington Beavers then exploded on a 14-3 run powered by Kari Simpson who totaled 22 points for the first half alone. Theresa Allen converted for the Lasers on a lay up with 0:02 to go in the half to cut the lead to 5, but Maine-Farmington ended the period up 39-34.

Farmington opened the second half with a 12-5 run, and although the Lasers tried to hang in, at the 10:00 minute mark in the second half the lead had grown to ten at 57-47. Farmington controlled the tempo of most of the second half, with Simpson adding another 19 to her total. With 2:57 left in the game a Theresa Allen two got Lasell within 8 points of the lead, but the Beavers pulled away down the stretch for the 81-64 win.

Simpson had a huge night for the Beavers scoring a game-high 41 points on 17-21 shooting, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Melissa Sawyer, (Oakland, ME) added 13 points, and Karen Sirois, (Augusta, ME) had 6 steals to go with her 8 points.

For the Lasell College Lasers, Theresa Allen had a team-high 22 points to go with her 10 boards, and Mandi Rapisardi, (Scarborough, ME) added 16 points.

The Maine-Farmington Beavers up their season record to 23-4, and the Lasell College Lasers end their season at 14-12.
 

February 21, 2006

Maine Maritime Turns Away Husson, 61-51; Will Host NAC Women's Hoop Semifinals

Lady Mariners beat Husson 61-51 to secure spot in NAC semi-finals The Lady Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy took on the Husson College Eagles in Castine, ME this evening in a North Atlantic Conference quarter-final matchup, and in a hard fought game, prevailed by a score of 61-51.

In a scrappy first half it was the Lady Mariners who set the early pace, but by midway through the period the game had settled into a determined and defensive battle. The lead changed hands numerous times, but when Jodie Merchant (Ellsworth, ME) hit a free throw with 4:02 left in the half, she gave the Eagles a lead they would hold until the break. Husson went into the half with a 24-17 lead, having held the Lady Mariners to 15% shooting from the floor.

The Lady Mariners came out of the gate quickly to start the second half with a 7-0 run. They took the lead 25-24 on a Julia Knights (Brookton, ME) three-pointer, and an Alyssa Burns (Dixfield, ME) lay up and foul shot. The lead changed hands four times in the next two minutes before Julia Knights scored on a lay up to give the Lady Mariners a lead that they would not relinquish. Husson continued to try to claw their way back into the game, with Jodie Merchant a persistent thorn in the Lady Mariners’ side. However, with some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch, and some tenacious defense, MMA were able to hold on and book their place in the conference semi-final game on Friday.

Shelley Gott, (Tremont ME) was perfect from the foul line, going 10-10 on the night. She also added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Julia Knights paced the Lady Mariners with a game-high 21 points and 5 boards, and Alyssa Burns added 15 points along with 4 steals.

Jodie Merchant led the Husson Eagles with 17 points and 9 rebounds, and was supported by Annie McIntosh (New Gloucester, ME) with 15 points and 10 boards.

The MMA Lady Mariners up their season record to 22-4, and the Husson College Eagles end their season at 13-13.

February 19, 2006

NAC Women’s Basketball Championship Pairings Announced

Defending NAC Champion Maine Maritime and Lasell earned the top seeds in their respective divisions in the upcoming North Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament. The top four teams from each division qualify for the NAC Championship. Teams are reseeded entering the semifinals.

Maine Maritime finished conference play at 16-1 earning the East division top seed. The Mariners (21-4 overall) will meet East division fourth seed Husson (13-12 overall, 12-5 NAC) when tournament play begins this Tuesday, February 21. Third seed Thomas (15-10 overall, 12-5 NAC) will travel to West second seed Maine-Farmington (21-4 overall, 15-2 NAC). UMF’s only conference defeats were to top seed Maine Maritime by a total of seven points.

West division top seed Lasell (14-11 overall, 13-5 NAC) will play host to West division fourth seed Elms (9-15 overall, 8-10 NAC). The Blazers were swept the Lasers in their two meetings this season. Second seed Castleton State (16-9 overall, 13-5 NAC) will face in-state rival Johnson State (12-12 overall, 9-9 NAC). The Spartans are riding an eight-game winning streak into the tournament.

The top four teams from each division qualify for the NAC Championship. Predetermined tiebreaking procedures were used to seed teams with identical conference winning percentages. Quarterfinal games will be played at the higher seed on Tuesday, February 21 at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Teams are then re-seeded entering the semifinal round based on similar seeding criteria. The top seed will host both semifinal contests on Friday, February 24 at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. and the championship on Saturday, February 25 at 1:00 p.m. for the NAC title. Game times are subject to change. The NAC Champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship.

2004-05 NAC Women's Basketball Championship
2003-04 NAC Women's Basketball Championship