No. 15 Georgia rules the paint, defeats Maine

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ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia capitalized on its exceptionally tall and talented frontcourt lineup Sunday afternoon, overmatching Maine on its way to a convincing 88-57 victory at Stegeman Coliseum.

The Black Bears had difficulty matching up with 15th-ranked Bulldogs, who went 6-foot-6, 6-4, 6-2 across the front and utilized a 6-5 player coming off the bench. Georgia’s big quartet accounted for 51 points, 25 rebounds and 11 blocked shots to spearhead the victory.

Georgia shot 42 percent from the field, outrebounded UMaine 59-32 and limited the Bears to 27 percent (17-for-63) floor shooting.

“I thought it was a great challenge for us,” said UMaine coach Sharon Versyp. “We’re not going to play against anyone this size, or probably this quick, the rest of the year. I think it will be hard for anybody in the country to match up with their size post players.”

Six-foot-four Tawana McDonald paced 1-0 Georgia with 16 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. Kara Braxton (6-6) provided 15 points and three blocks, while Mary Beth Lycett (13 points, 10 rebounds) and 6-5 Christi Thomas (13 points, 9 rebounds) also were outstanding.

“They’re physically strong and very athletic,” Versyp said.

The 1-1 Bears struggled in the post (six points, 14 rebounds combined), but received a boost from a trio of guards. Freshman point guard Missy Traversi finished with a game-high 18 points (15 in the second half) and provided four steals.

Sophomore shooting guard Melissa Heon contributed 15 points and five rebounds, while frosh guard Kim Corbitt chipped in with 14 points.

“The three guards were very quick and that helped us,” Versyp said. “I was real impressed with having such young kids on the floor and attacking.”

Georgia wasted little time establishing its dominance, turning a 12-10 lead into a 22-point bulge by outscoring the Bears 22-2 during a span of only seven minutes. The hosts also held a 15-1 rebounding advantage at one point in the half.

“We had seven out of eight possessions that we had turnovers,” Versyp said. “You can’t allow a team like Georgia, with their talent, to do that.”

The Bulldogs extended the first-half lead to as many as 26 points and led 49-23 at intermission.

UMaine, which shelved its ineffective zone defense in favor of man-to-man, played better in the second half. Utilizing a youthful lineup, the Bears scored the first nine points of the half and played better defense overall.

Versyp was pleased with the inside play of freshmen Monica Peterson (6-0) and Nicole Jay (6-6), both of whom got a serious taste of playing against big-time competition.

“Monica Peterson and Nicole Jay did a tremendous job for us in the paint,” Versyp said. “Monica loves the physical game.”

The Bears were outscored 39-34 after the break, thanks in part to their ability to get into the paint and draw fouls. Heon converted nine of 12 free throws and Traversi was 4-for-4.

Versyp said UMaine turned in a much better effort in the second half.

Sophomore guard Pam Cruz, coming off a second knee surgery last month, made her first appearance in a UMaine uniform since March of 2000. She played six minutes, providing two points.

BULLDOGS 88, BLACK BEARS 57

Maine (1-1) Georgia (1-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Heon 3 12 9 12 15 Pierce 3 10 0 7

Traversi 6 16 4 4 18 Law 1 6 2

Moldre 1 3 1 1 3 Murphy 1 4 3

Ernest 0 2 1 2 1 McDonald 6 16

Veilleux 2 9 0 0 4 Ka. Braxton 5 11 5 8 15

Guerrette 0 0 0 0 0 Ki. Braxton 1 4

Jay 0 3 1 2 1 Taylor 1 2 0 3

Corbitt 5 10 3 3 14 Lycett 2 4 11 13

Cruz 0 1 0 0 0 Thomas 4 8 5 10 13

Peterson 0 7 1 2 1 Eason 0 1 2

Washington 3 5 8

Frye 1 4 0 2

Totals 17 63 20 26 57 Totals 28 66 28 40 88

Maine 23 57

Georgia 49 88

3-pt. goals: Maine (3-15): Heon 0-3, Traversi 2-6, Veilleux 0-3, Corbitt 1-3; Georgia (4-12): Pierce 1-2, Law 0-2, Murphy 1-4, Taylor 1-1, Lycett 1-3

Attendance: 2,878