DELAND, Fla. – Heather Ernest headed a list of four double-figure scorers with 18 points Saturday afternoon as the University of Maine women’s basketball team posted a 71-54 victory over Georgia Southern in the second round of theLady Hatter Classic at Stetson University.

Ernest, a sophomore forward from Temple, went 8-for-8 from the foul line and pulled down 11 rebounds to pace the Black Bears. Coach Sharon Versyp’s team has won three in a row and is off to the best start for a UMaine squad since the 1998-99 team went 5-3.

As was the case in Friday night’s win over Stetson, balance was among the keys for the Bears. Sophomore guard Melissa Heon scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds, provided three assists and made two steals for UMaine, which committed only 13 turnovers.

Freshman point guards Missy Traversi and Kim Corbitt tossed in 12 and 10 points, respectively, with all of Corbitt’s points coming in the first half. Frosh forward Monica Peterson contributed five points and eight rebounds.

Shawnica Hill led 2-5 Georgia Southern with 14 points and Alie Rousseau netted 11. Mimi Lindsey came down with a game-high 13 rebounds, but the Bears outrebounded the Eagles 57-45.

UMaine made its move during the final 5 minutes, 14 seconds of the first half. The Bears went on a 20-4 scoring run to end the half, building a lead it would not relinquish.

Six different players scored during the UMaine surge.

Trailing 21-19, Tracy Guerrette of St. Agatha converted a conventional three-point play. Pam Cruz followed with a layup, before Danna Simpson countered with a layup for Georgia Southern.

Corbitt connected on a 3-pointer and Ernest made a layup to put the Bears up 29-23, then Sarah McCary answered for the Eagles on a jumper. Eva Moldre scored from close range, Heon scored off her own steal, Ernest hit two free throws and Heon made a layup to send UMaine into the locker room with a 12-point halftime advantage.

UMaine returned to Orono Sunday night and will play host to Dartmouth in a non-league game Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

BLACK BEARS 71, EAGLES 54

Georgia Southern (2-5) Maine (5-3)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Hill 6 11 2 2 14 Heon 7 14 0 15

Rousseau 4 12 0 0 11 Moldre 1 5 2

Lanier 2 9 0 0 4 Corbitt 3 4 10

Simpson 2 8 2 2 6 Veilleux 2 6

Lindsey 1 9 4 8 6 Peterson 2 5

Loiacono 0 3 0 0 0 Traversi 4 13 2 5 12

Davis 1 7 0 0 2 Ernest 5 15 18

McCorkle 0 3 0 0 0 Guerrette 1 3

Long 0 0 0 0 0 Jay 0 0 0 0

Everett 1 4 1 2 3 Cruz 0 0 0

McCary 3 6 0 2 6

Tiller 1 2 0 0 2

Totals 21 74 9 16 54 Totals 25 66 15 22 71

Georgia Southern 27 54

Maine 35 71

3-pt. goals ? Ga. Southern (3-16): Rousseau 3-9, Lanier 0-1, Simpson 0-1, Loiacono 0-1, Davis 0-2, McCorkle 0-1, Tiller 0-1; Maine (6-14): Heon 1-3, Corbitt 2-2, Veilleux 1-2, Traversi 2-6, Guerrette 0-1