ORONO – There was an unmistakable sense of urgency in the way the University of Maine women’s basketball team played Tuesday night.

Having escaped Saturday with an overtime America East win against Hartford, the Black Bears realized they could ill afford another uninspired effort in an important non-league contest.

UMaine played stifling defense and countered with a fiery offensive performance Tuesday while pulling away for a 70-51 victory over Rice at Alfond Arena.

Coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie’s 8-6 Bears played a tremendous second half. UMaine held the Owls to 15 second-half points on 18 percent shooting and aggressively attacked Rice on the offensive end.

“We looked at this game as very important as our last non-conference game and we knew we needed a non-conference win,” said senior sparkplug Amy Vachon. “We knew Rice was a very good basketball team and we’re going to use it and hopefully build on it.”

The Bears won their fourth game in a row with the kind of well-rounded effort fans have been waiting all season to see.

Rice University of Houston, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, fell to 8-4. Coach Cristy McKinney’s Owls were ranked 48th in the latest unofficial Rating Percentage Index.

“They understood that it was a great opportunity and that it was time,” Palombo said of her players. “This is time to really step it up. They didn’t have to say it. I just felt that from them.”

UMaine ran the fast break effectively, established dribble penetration and worked together at both ends of the court.

Jamie Cassidy led UMaine’s balanced attack with 24 points, connecting on all 14 free throw attempts. Amy Vachon provided 15 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals.

Kristen McCormick chipped in with 12 points and five rebounds, while Kizzy Lopez added 10 points and nine rebounds and Martina Tinklova scored eight pivotal second-half points.

UMaine shot 47 percent from the floor, made 25 of 31 at the foul line and committed only 15 turnovers.

“I thought it was a reflection of very good decision-making on everybody’s part,” Palombo said. “That’s real positive for us to have that kind of balance.”

Marla Brumfield paced Rice with 19 points and five assists. Jenny Cafferty added nine points.

The Owls, who had found a few holes in UMaine’s 1-2-2 matchup zone in the first half, couldn’t solve the set after intermission.

“Maine did a nice job,” McKinney said. “It’s hard when you don’t see a lot of matchup zone to get ready in three or four days time, to really execute well against it.”

UMaine picked up the intensity again to open the second half. The result was swarming team defense and fluid offensive play.

Trailing 38-37, the Bears put together an impressive nine-minute stretch during which it outscored the Owls 19-4.

First, UMaine peeled off a 13-2 scoring run lasting five minutes. Tinklova scored twice from close range before Brumfield answered for Rice with a 17-footer. It would be the Owls’ last field goal for 5 1/2 minutes.

“We looked to get it inside and we looked to take it to the hole and be physical that way,” Lopez said. “When people are up in our face, we just have to go to the basket and I think we’re getting that concept.”

In the meantime, the Bears found a crisp offensive mix. McCormick scored from underneath off a Tinklova feed, Lopez converted a baseline move, Cassidy connected from down low off a Vachon feed and McCormick drained a 3-pointer to give UMaine a 50-40 advantage with 13:09 to play.

Once Daneesh McIntosh answered for the Owls, the Bears rattled off six straight points, including two close-range hoops by Tinklova, to extend the lead to 56-42 with 9:00 left.

“I think the physical play and the willingness to be physical and be aggressive is the total key to having consistent success and Martina really exhibited that, especially in the second half,” Palombo said.

Once the lead was established, the Bears patiently worked the ball inside and put the game away from the foul line. Cassidy went 8-for-8 from the line in the final six minutes as UMaine iced it.

Black Bears 70, Owls 51

Rice (8-4) Maine (8-6)

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

Tuttle 2 4 0 0 4 Lopez 4 6 2 4 10

Smallwood 3 4 0 0 6 Tinklova 4 7 0 0 8

Jordan 2 9 0 2 4 Cassidy 5 8 14 14 24

Lawson 0 3 0 0 0 McCormick 4 8 2 2 12

Brumfield 5 15 8 8 19 Vachon 4 13 6 9 15

Liggett 2 8 2 2 7 Moldre 0 1 0 0 0

McIntosh 1 3 0 0 2 Guerrette 0 0 0 0 0

Cafferty 3 11 0 0 9 Stone 0 0 0 0 0

James 0 2 0 0 0 James 0 0 0 0 0

Bracken 0 0 0 0 0 Cruz 0 2 0 0 0

Grover 0 0 1 2 1

Totals 18 59 10 12 51 Totals 21 45 25 31 70

Rice 36 51

Maine 35 70

3-pt. goals: Rice (5-20): Smallwood 0-1, Lawson 0-1, Brumfield 1-3, Liggett 1-4, Cafferty 3-10, James 0-1; Maine (3-10): Lopez 0-1, Tinklova 0-1, McCormick 2-5, Vachon 1-3

Attendance: 2,436