BOSTON – The University of Maine women built a big halftime lead and then had to hold on to edge Northeastern University 57-53 in a North Atlantic Conference basketball game here Thursday night.

The Black Bears, 15-8 overall and 8-2 in the NAC, took a 32-20 lead into the intermission before the Huskies made a contest out of it over the final 20 minutes.

Heather Briggs led the winners with 20 points and Jess Carpenter had 10. Each had 12 rebounds as the Bears outrebounded the hosts 47-27 in the game.

The Huskies, 7-14 overall and 1-7 in the conference, were led by Hillary Harwell’s 15 points and 10 rebounds; Carrine Jones had 13 points and Cordelia Washington 12.

Maine women Northeastern

Name AG G AF F TP Name AG G AF F TP

Frenette 5 3 3 1 7 Robinson 2 1 0 0 2

Briggs 18 8 5 4 20 Jones 12 4 4 3 13

Carpenter 13 4 3 2 10 Harwell 13 6 4 3 15

Goodhue 8 3 2 2 9 Strong 7 0 2 1 1

Bradstreet 8 3 2 0 7 Washington 12 6 0 0 12

Philbrick 3 1 0 0 2 Hobson 5 3 0 0 6

Buetow 0 0 0 0 0 Mayo 0 0 0 0 0

Strong 0 0 6 2 2 Guidroz 2 1 2 2 4

McClintock 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 55 22 21 11 57 Totals 53 21 12 9 53

Maine 32 57

Northeastern 20 53

3-pt. goals: Maine (2-5): Goodhue 1-2, Bradstreet 1-2, Briggs 0-1; NU (2-4): Jones 2-3, Mayo 0-1