BOSTON – It was a night of fourth quarter comebacks, as both top seeded Maine and #3 seed Vermont overcame late deficits to stun their opponents in the Jersey Mike’s #AEPlayoffs Semifinals on Monday evening.
Maine trailed #5 Binghamton by 10 points in the third and eight early in the 4th before a 12-0 run pulled them back in front for good. Anne Simon and Adrianna Smith combined for 51 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists and seven steals to spearhead the comeback.
#2 UAlbany led Vermont by five points entering the fourth but the Catamounts tied it up and the two teams went back-and-forth until Emma Utterback drilled a three from the wing to put them up for good, 48-46, with 14 seconds remaining.
The #3 seeded Catamounts look to defend their conference crown when they travel to Maine for Friday’s 5 p.m. championship game. The contest will be broadcast on ESPNU and the winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. For full playoff coverage, including box scores, highlights, photos and more, visit #AEPlayoffs Central.
#1 Maine 64, #5 Binghamton 58
- The first quarter was back-and-forth as neither team could gain an advantage greater than four points and Maine took a 15-13 lead after one.
- The Back Bears pushed it to 17-13, but Binghamton went on a 10-2 run over the final eight minutes of the half to grab a 23-19 lead at the break.
- In the third, the Bearcats extended it to a 35-27 advantage on a Genevieve Coleman jumper with 5:44 left in the third. Binghamton made it a ten-point contest, 41-31, but Maine trimmed the deficit to just five points at the end of the quarter.
- The Bearcats stretched the lead to 48-40 and then 51-43 with 7:33 left in regulation. The top seeded Black Bears answered with the next 12 points to grab a 55-51 lead with only 3:41 remaining.
- Weltz pulled Binghamton within two, 55-53 and 57-55, but Maine answered every time and made three of its final four free throws in the last ten seconds to hold off the Bearcats for the six-point win.
- Jadyn Weltz filled up the stat sheet in the loss with 25 points, four rebounds and four assists while Denai Bowman had 13 points.
- Smith and Simon scored 26 and 25 points apiece, while Olivia Rockwood added ten to account for 61 of their 64 points.
#3 Vermont 50, #2 UAlbany 46
- Vermont jumped out to the 5-0 lead in the opening two minutes, but the Great Danes answered with eight straight points for an 8-5 advantage midway through the period. They didn’t score again in the period as UVM add four points for a 9-8 lead after the first.
- Keira Hanson hit a three, extending it to 12-8, but UAlbany responded with an 11-2 run to pull in front 19-14 with three minutes left. The Great Danes eventually pushed the lead to 25-18 at the half on a Sarah Karpell Layup.
- Lilly Phillips made it a 28-18 advantage, but a 10-2 run by the Catamounts closed the gap to 30-28 midway through the quarter. UAlbany rebounded to take a 36-31 lead through three.
- Vermont tied it up early in the fourth and two teams went back-and-forth trading the lead. Trailing 46-45 after a Kayla Cooper layup, Emma Utterback connected on a three from the wing for the 48-46 advantage with just 14 seconds remaining.
- The Catamounts forced a miss on the next defensive possession and made their free throws to secure the four-point win.
- Four players scored in double figures for Vermont, highlighted by Anna Olson who had 11 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Utterback finished with 12 and four boards.
- Kayla Cooper led UAlbany with 16 points and four assists, and Helene Haegerstrand finished her career with 15 points and seven boards.
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