ORONO, M.E. (NEWS10) — After a rough start on the road for the University at Albany women’s basketball team, the Great Danes spent the rest of the contest catching up to Maine, and fighting for the lead. Going back and forth in the final two minutes of action, the Black Bears ended with the final basket to take the win Saturday afternoon.

COACH COLLEEN MULLEN: “I’m really proud of the effort and resolve the team showed tonight. We chipped away at a significant deficit and took the lead in the fourth quarter. Maine is extremely disciplined and really challenged us with their inside-out attack. We handled a lot of diversity today and competed to the end. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough.”

KEY STATS

  • Junior Kayla Cooper led the Great Danes with 23 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
  • Senior Helene Haegerstrand followed with two blocks and eight points.
  • Redshirt junior Morgan Haney and senior Grace Heeps tallied four rebounds.
  • Haney and senior Fatima Lee tied a team-high with two steals.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • The Black Bears opened the game with a 7-0 run before UAlbany tallied its first basket with a jumper from Helene Haegerstrand at 7:09.
  • Maine continued with a 13-0 scoring run and completed the quarter with an additional two free throws. 
  • In the final minute of the first quarter, Kayla Cooper scored two-straight layups.
  • Trading baskets in the beginning of the second quarter, the Great Danes put together an 8-2 scoring run to close the point gap.
  • After Maine grew its advantage with a three-pointer and two free throws, UAlbany ended the half with eight unanswered points to hold the Black Bears to a 33-25 lead at the midway point.
  • The Great Danes opened the third quarter strong but Maine answered just as strong. Going back and forth, the Black Bears held a 10-point advantage, 40-30, with 6:55 to go.
  • Kicking up its defense, UAlbany closed out the third with a 9-2 scoring run to make it a one-possession game.
  • Down by just one point with five minutes to go in the game, defense shined in the middle of the fourth quarter as neither team scored in between a Cooper jumper at 5:28 and a Cooper layup at 1:49. 
  • Coming in just after the two-minute mark, Cooper’s layup gave the Great Danes a 47-46 lead, the first lead of the game.
  • Combined, the teams notched three baskets, to change the lead three times, in the final minute. Scoring the last layup, the Black Bears finished the close game, 50-49.

NEXT: The Great Danes are set to return home to host UMass Lowell on February 1.