Blodgett, Rustad lead UM by TCU

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PORTLAND – The University of Maine women’s basketball team rang in the New Year in style here Sunday afternoon, hosting a blowout for themselves and 1,416 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Freshman point guard Cindy Blodgett connected for 12 points to ignite a game-opening 21-2 flurry that set the tone for a dominating 96-47 victory over Texas Christian University in the opening round of the Portland Shootout.

Maine, now 5-3, takes on St. Bonaventure University of New York in Monday’s 7 p.m. championship game. The Bonnies were 86-70 victors over Louisiana State University in Sunday’s opener.

LSU meets TCU, 1-8, in the 5 p.m. consolation game.

Coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie’s Black Bears bolted to an early lead, then displayed their depth and versatility while utilizing all 11 players on the squad.

Blodgett spearheaded the Maine effort with 23 points, despite playing less than 13 minutes as Palombo substitutely freely. Junior guard Stacia Rustad was a tiger coming off the bench. She tied a career high with 17 points and led the team with five assists.

Rustad said the Bears came into the Portland Shootout exuding confidence after going 1-1 in the tough Lady Gator Classic in Florida last week.

“Coming from the Florida tournament, even though we lost our first game in the first round, we really played well (for the whole tournament),” Rustad said. “We were very optimistic coming off that tournament and going into this one. Right when we got out there, everything was clicking.”

Click the Bears did, and from the opening tap it was Maine’s game. Blodgett, who matched her career high of 23 points for the third straight game and easily could have had many more, was the early catalyst.

She nailed two 3-pointers and a pair of 19-footers in the first 2 1/2 minutes, forcing the Lady Frogs to abandon their 2-3 zone defense.

“She did a tremendous job busting the zone and that’s something Cindy can do, Trish Ripton can do, and Stacia Rustad can do,” Palombo said. “Cindy played well.”

“Maine came out and executed,” said TCU coach Shell Robinson. “I think a lot of the problem was we were standing, just waiting to see what No. 14, Cindy (Blodgett), was going to do.”

Midway through the half, it was Rustad who led the charge for Maine. She tossed in 10 of the Bears’ 18 points during a five-minute stretch as they took a 46-24 lead by intermission.

Maine put the game away in the first three minutes of the second half. The Bears did not experience any letdown as Blodgett scored nine points and Steph Guidi (15 points) had six to fuel a 17-4 flurry that made it 61-28 with 16:54 to play.

“What we wanted to do was just keep the intensity, play our game and have a team effort,” Palombo said. “I thought that’s what we had tonight. We’re a very deep team, and I think you could see that tonight.”

The kind of chemistry that made Maine so tough to play against last winter was in evidence Sunday. That cohesiveness led to the impressive and balanced effort.

“Everyone was making a contribution in the game, which makes it a great team win and boosts up your ego,” Rustad said. “We are starting to become very close as a team as far as on the court. Once you reach that point in your season, things really start to come together.”

Freshman Sandi Carver and sophomore Kelly Stubbs had eight and seven points, respectively, while playing quality minutes for the Bears. Senior tri-captain Rita Sullivan contributed six points and five rebounds in her first action since suffering a sprained ankle early in December.

“Tonight, I just wanted to continue to substitute and give some critical minutes to people who deserved them and needed them,” Palombo said. “We’ll be ready to go for tomorrow.”

Leah Garcia paced a young and overmatched TCU squad with 12 points. Stacy Price added nine for the Frogs, who committed 31 turnovers.

In Sunday’s opener, St. Bonaventure placed five players in double figures, led by Melissa Jurecki’s 19-point effort, while beating LSU.

The Bonnies made their move early in the second half, then withstood a charge by the Tigers thanks in part to a 21-11 edge from the foul line. Suzie Dailer provided 13 points and seven assists for SBU.

All-America candidate Corneila Gayden led LSU with 20 points.

Black Bears 96, Lady Frogs 47

Texas Christian Maine women

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

Garcia 6 16 0 0 12 Grealy 0 1 0 0 0

Faubion 0 0 1 3 1 Stubbs 2 2 3 3 7

Harms 2 8 1 1 5 Blodgett 8 13 4 4 23

Worlow 2 5 2 2 6 Gallant 3 9 0 0 6

Hutton 2 3 0 0 4 Carver 4 4 0 0 8

Price 4 9 1 2 9 Rustad 5 8 6 6 18

Courtade 2 4 0 0 4 Porrini 1 4 2 2 4

Ramos 1 4 0 0 2 Dionne 1 2 0 0 2

Altman 0 4 2 2 2 Ripton 3 6 0 0 8

Holamon 1 3 0 0 2 Sullivan 3 4 0 1 6

Guidi 7 10 1 2 15

Totals 20 56 7 10 47 Totals 37 63 16 18 96

Texas Christian 24 47

Maine 46 50

3-pt. goals: Texas Christian (0-5): Harms 0-1, Altman 0-4; Maine (6-10): Blodgett 3-5, Rustad 1-1, Dionne 09-1, Ripton 2-3

Bonnies 88, Fighting Tigers 73

St. Bonaventure Louisiana State

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

Lukenda 3 6 4 4 10 Carter 1 4 0 2 2

Dailer 5 11 1 1 13 Stewart 1 1 0 0 3

Pawling 0 1 1 2 1 Smith-Elliot 1 4 0 0 3

Rooks 6 8 3 3 16 Lormand 2 3 0 0 4

Vizzoca 0 2 0 0 0 Gayden 8 19 2 3 20

Jurocki 8 16 3 6 19 Sholars 3 11 0 0 6

Peterson 4 7 5 7 13 Gehring 1 3 1 2 3

Matthews 0 0 0 0 0 Smith 7 13 4 4 18

Powers 4 8 4 4 12 Lewis 1 2 0 0 2

Petrak 2 2 0 0 4 Howell 2 7 2 2 6

Hackett 2 4 2 3 6

Totals 32 61 21 27 88 Totals 29 71 11 16 73

St. Bonaventure 46 88

Louisiana State 39 73

3-pt. goals: St. Bonaventure (3-10): Lukenda 0-1, Dailer 2-6, Rooks 1-1, Vizzoca 0-1, Peterson 0-1; LSU (4-13): Stewart 1-1, Smith-Elliot 1-3, Gayden 2-9