WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – No. 1 seed Maine (25-6) raced out of the gates at the beginning of the game, and defeated No. 3 seed Boston University (19-11) 68-43 in the title game of the Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Championship. The Black Bears capture their league record seventh title, and their first since 1998. It is the second time (1990) that Maine has defeated Boston University in the final game.
Maine senior forward Heather Ernest added tournament Most Outstanding Player honors to her Player of the Year selection earlier in the week, scoring a game-high 15 points and pulling down nine rebounds. Fellow senior Melissa Heon was also named to the all-tournament team, and scored 12 points. Junior forward Monica Peterson registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Freshman guard Nadia Bibbs was the only Boston University player in double figures, scoring all 10 of her points in the second half. Senior guard Katie Terhune had nine points and three rebounds in her final collegiate game and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. She was joined by teammate Adrienne Norris, who chipped in five points and 10 rebounds.
The Black Bears set a championship game record with 53 rebounds, and the margin of victory was the largest in a championship game since 2000, when Maine lost to Vermont by 27 points. Boston University registered the fewest points in a championship game and had the lowest field goal percentage connecting on only 28.1% (16-of-57) of their shots. That included a 4-of-27 (14.8%) performance in the first half, which was the lowest percentage in a half in tournament history. The Terriers’ 18 field goals were also the fewest in a tournament final.
Maine established control of the game early on and never looked back. After the Terriers scored the first basket of the game, the Black Bears seized the lead with a 10-1 run, and later closed the first half with a 19-4 spurt in the final 7:15. They limited Boston University to just two field goals in the final 12:44 of the frame, and were relentless on the glass, running up a 27-13 edge on the glass in the first 20 minutes. Junior guard Missy Traversi matched the scoring output of the entire Boston University team in the opening 20 minutes, scoring all 12 points in the period thanks to 7-of-7 free-throw shooting.
The Black Bears shot only 28% (8-of-29) in the second half, but Boston University never got closer than 17 points, and the game was put out of reach by a 9-2 Maine run early in the period. Maine defeated the Terriers in a rematch of last season’s championship game, in which Boston University defeated the Black Bears 69-65.
All-Tournament Team: Heather Ernest, Maine (MOP), Melissa Heon (Maine), Katie Terhune (Boston University), Adrienne Norris (Boston University), Alicia Learn (Albany).