BRONX, N.Y. – The University of Maine women’s basketball team may have struggled at home this season, but away games seem to be a different story.

The Black Bears cruised to another road win Saturday afternoon, as sophomore Heather Ernest of Temple scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead UMaine to a 52-39 victory over Fordham at Rose Hill Gym.

The Black Bears, now 6-4, have won four of their last five games, all away from Alfond Arena.

“I wish I knew what it was,” Ernest said of the team’s success on the road and troubles at home. “I’d tell everyone and we’d solve the problem.”

The Rams fall to 2-6.

Maine freshman guard Kim Corbitt scored eight of her 10 points from the free-throw line, including six points in the final 1:24 of the second half.

“It was definitely very good that we hit our free throws at the end,” Ernest said. “Kim saved our butt.”

Maine was able to hold off Fordham and maintain at least a six-point lead for most of the second half, but the Black Bears would need a good effort from the free-throw line in the closing minutes of the game.

The Bears had a 39-29 lead with 9:31 left in the half until baskets by Annie Deroy and Mobol Akiode cut into Maine’s lead. Maine’s Melissa Heon made one of two free-throw attempts to get the lead back to seven points, but Akiode hit another shot to make it 40-35 with 3:39 left.

That was as close as the Rams would get, as Maine’s Monica Peterson and Eva Moldre each scored a basket and Corbitt and Ernest did their part from the free-throw line. In the final 1:24 Corbitt went 6-for-6 while Ernest made both of her attempts.

Maine went 13-for-16 (81.2 percent) from the free-throw line in the second half.

The Bears were down early in the first half and didn’t take their first lead until Corbitt made a free throw with 13:19 left. Later in the half Fordham’s Stacey Price made a basket to tie it up again but Maine went ahead for good thanks to a Nicole Jay layup.

The Bears had a 25-19 lead at halftime.

Maine mixed up its defenses often, playing 1-2-2 and 1-3-1 zones to keep Fordham from going inside. Indeed, the Rams had to settle for jump shots and shot 21.9 percent overall (they made just two of their 14 attempts from 3-point range).

“We wanted them to shoot,” Ernest said. “[The defensive changes] kept them on their heels.”

Patty Williams led Fordham with nine points.

Turnovers plagued the Bears Saturday as they racked up 20 to the Rams’ 12. Ernest said Maine turned the ball over ‘quite a bit,’ especially in the second half, but the Black Bears’ rebounding advantage and defense helped limit the damage caused by the turnovers.

“We definitely gave them a chance to get back into the game but our defense stopped them,” she said. “We outrebounded them and that was a big key. We knew we would have to outrebound them.”

UMaine outrebounded Fordham 51-38, thanks in part to Peterson’s game-high 14 rebounds. Sophomore Julie Veilleux of Augusta pulled down seven and Heon had six.

“Monica Peterson owned the boards,” Versyp said.

BLACK BEARS 52, RAMS 39

Maine (6-4) Fordham (2-6)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Ernest 5 11 4 4 14 Fleischer 0 0

Veilleux 2 5 0 0 5 Williams 3 9

Moldre 1 5 0 0 2 Ruff 0 3 1

Heon 1 5 3 4 5 Deroy 2 7 3 8

Corbitt 1 4 8 9 10 Mack 3 8 6

Traversi 2 10 2 2 6 Hanson 0 3 0

Guerrette 0 1 0 0 0 Keegan 0 5 1

Jay 1 1 0 0 2 Kanoute 0 2 0 0

Cruz 0 0 0 0 0 Price 2 5 0 4

Peterson 4 10 0 3 8 Jones 1 7 4

Akiode 2 11 0 4

Chiaramonte 1 1 2

Totals 17 52 17 22 52 14 64 13 39

Maine 25 52

Fordham 19 39

3-pt. goals: Maine (1-8): Veilleux 1-1, Ernest 0-1, Heon 0-1, Corbitt 0-1, Traversi 0-4; Fordham (2-14): Deroy 1-3, Williams 1-4, Hanson 0-1, Akiode 0-2, Mack 0-4

Attendance: 349