BLACKSBURG, Va. – Freshman forward Heather Ernest scored 13 points during a 26-5 spurt to open the second half as the University of Maine women’s basketball team rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Marshall University 79-58 in their Lady Luck Classic semifinal at Virginia Tech University Thursday night.

Ernest had been held to only two points in the first half.

The Black Bears, who reeled off 21 unanswered points during that decisive spree, are now 4-6. They will face Virginia Tech, the winner over North Carolina-Asheville later Thursday in tonight’s 7:30 championship game.

Marshall, 4-5, will play UNC-Asheville in the 5:30 p.m. consolation game.

Marshall parlayed balanced scoring, 14 offensive rebounds, and 16 Maine turnovers into a 32-23 halftime lead.

But Tracy Guerrette nailed a 3-pointer to open the second half and then Ernest, after picking up her third foul, went to work.

The former Mt. Blue High School of Farmington star scored Maine’s next nine points to pull the Bears within two.

Former Cony High School of Augusta standout Julie Veilleux, also a freshman, hit a 3-pointer to give Maine the lead for good at 38-37 with 15:07 remaining.

Maine had scored 10 unanswered points at that stage and the Bears rattled off 11 more as Ernest sank a layup, Guerrette hit another 3-pointer, Ernest and Anna James converted layups, and Kizzy Lopez connected on two free throws.

Marshall pulled within eight on three occasions, but the Bears answered each time. Veilleux knocked down a 3-pointer with 9:01 left to make it 56-45 and sank a pair of free throws with 7:02 remaining to establish a 60-50 lead.

Lopez made a pair from the free-throw line after Marshall pulled within eight for the final time on an Amy Reed layup with 6:42 left.

A Lacey Stone jumper and two more Lopez free throws gave the Bears some breathing room at 66-52 and Marshall could get no closer than 12 the rest of the way.

Lopez, a 50 percent free throw shooter entering the game, went 12-for-12 from the foul line, including an 8-for-8 performance in the second half.

Ernest, who fouled out with 2:36 remaining, finished with a game-high and personal-best 19 points in 25 minutes of action. Ernest was 9-for-11 from the floor.

She also hauled down 13 rebounds, which ties her single-game best, and blocked two shots.

Veilleux contributed 17 points and five rebounds; Lopez had 16 points, six rebounds, and three steals; and Guerrette wound up with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

Melissa Heon chipped in with seven rebounds and three assists.

Maine shot 53.1 percent from the floor in the second half compared to its 29.6 percent showing in the first half.

The Bears also protected the ball better, turning it over only eight times in the second half.

Maine outrebounded Marshall 54-39.

Yaschico Stevens had a team-high 12 points and seven rebounds for the Thundering Herd.

Melissa Arnold scored 10 points and also contributed three assists and three steals. Toni Patillo finished with nine points, a game-high five steals, and six rebounds.

Maine held Marshall to 29.7 percent shooting from the floor and outscored the Thundering Herd 23-10 from the free throw line as Maine went 23-for-27 to Marshall’s 10-for-21 performance.

Maine coach Sharon Versyp said she made some adjustments at halftime and challenged her team.

“I got after them a little bit,” said Versyp, who was disturbed by the turnovers and Marshall’s offensive rebounds in the first half. “We ran a zone offense with four perimeter players in the first half, but we went to three perimeter players and two post players in the second half. We worked a high-low and gave the ball to Heather every time we could. She used a few different moves that we’ve been working on in practice. She did a nice job.”

Versyp also said the Bears went to a 1-2-2 half-court trap and trapped the Herd players in the corners “which caused them to hurry a lot of shots.”

She also praised her team for its defensive play in the second half and lauded Guerrette for “doing a nice job pushing the ball down the floor and controlling the tempo on defense as well as offense. She also hit some 3’s and was definitely our floor leader.

Concordia 65, Husson 39

At Irvine, Calif., the Eagles of Concordia were led by Aine Kohler, who netted 18 points.

The Husson Braves received a 17-point game from Kelly Dow.

Husson 39

Trott 2-0-5, Boone 2-0-4, Allen 1-0-2, Nye 1-1-3, Comeau, Hughes 1-2-4, Doughty 1-1-4, Dow 4-8-17, Betit, Turner, Cole

Concordia (4-4) 65

Koihler 8-2-18, O’Hara 6-0-12, Toms 0-1-1, Hansen 4-1-12, Howe 1-0-2, Pegues 1-1-3, Esala, Commins 6-1-13, Covington 0-2-2, Knott 1-0-2

3-pt. goals: Trott, Doughty; Hansen 3

Halftime: Concordia 34-22

Black Bears 79, Herd 58

Marshall (4-5) Maine (4-5)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG F AF TP

Ferguson 0 6 0 0 0 Ernest 9 11 1 1 19

Patillo 3 9 3 5 9 Veilleux 5 9 4 4 17

Reed 4 7 0 2 8 Moldre 0 3 1 2 1

Fitzgerald 2 9 4 5 8 Heon 0 5 0 1 0

Arnold 4 10 0 0 10 Guerrette 5 10 1 1 14

Halsey 0 1 0 0 0 Lopez 2 9 12 12 16

Betts 0 2 0 0 0 Stone 3 7 0 0 6

Williams 2 11 0 2 4 Sobel 0 1 0 0 0

Knable 1 1 0 0 2 James 1 4 4 6 6

Stevens 5 16 0 1 12

Richter 1 2 2 4 4

LaFleur 0 0 0 0 0

Streeter 0 0 1 2 1

Totals 22 74 10 21 58 Totals 25 59 23 27 79

Marshall 32 58

Maine 23 79

3-pt. goals: Marshall 4-16: Arnold 2-3, Stevens 2-4, Halsey 0-1, Betts 0-1, Patillo 0-3, Williams 0-4; Maine 6-16: Guerrette 3-6, Veilleux 3-6, Sobel 0-1, Heon 0-1, Stone 0-2