MISSOULA, Mont. – The University of Maine women’s basketball team tried to rally in the second half, but couldn’t contend with Louisville’s inside game as the Cardinals defeated the Black Bears 69-57 in the consolation game of the Lady Griz Holiday Classic Wednesday night at Dahlberg Arena.

UMaine senior Missy Traversi poured in a game-high 29 points, but Louisville (9-4) placed four players in double figures, including forward Missy Taylor and center Jazz Covington. The two combined to go 13-for-22 from the floor, and Covington had a team-best 19 points.

Maine, meanwhile, got a combined six points from starting forwards Bracey Barker and Monica Peterson and center Abby Schrader.

“They have two very good post players and we just couldn’t do anything against them,” said coach Sharon Versyp, whose Bears fell to 4-6.

“We all know Bracey has been playing really well,” Versyp added. “She knows she has to score for us.”

Barker, a Bar Harbor native, went 0-for-7 Wednesday. That follows a three-point game in Tuesday’s 83-52 loss to host Montana.

Louisville had a 36-26 lead at halftime, but the Black Bears battled back to cut the lead to 49-48 at the 9:18 mark of the second half. Maine even went ahead briefly at 45-44.

The Cardinals reeled off a 6-0 run to go up 55-48 with more than seven minutes remaining.

“Everyone played well defensively,” Versyp said. “In the second half we just got killed inside.”

Maine and Louisville were tied twice in the first half, but the Cardinals used a 12-0 run and held the Bears without a field goal for about six minutes.

Louisville shot 52 percent from the floor and outrebounded Maine 32-27.

Traversi led the Black Bears with 10-for-13 shooting, including a 4-for-5 effort from 3-point range. She also had a team-high six rebounds to go with four assists.

Augusta’s Ashley Underwood chipped in with nine points off the bench for Maine.

CARDINALS 69, BLACK BEARS 57

Louisville (9-4) Maine (4-6)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Taylor 5 11 2 2 12 Barker 0 7 0

Phillips 2 5 0 0 5 Peterson 1 2

Covington 8 11 3 5 19 Schrader 2 4

Bradley 2 8 2 2 7 Traversi 10 13 5 6 29

Huggins 2 5 6 6 11 Corbitt 3 7 7

Tokova 2 2 0 0 5 Underwood 3 9

Olson 5 7 0 0 10 Hugstd-Vaa 1 3

Neal 0 1 0 0 0 Whittier 0 1 0

Elderton 1 1 3

Totals 26 50 13 15 69 Totals 21 53 10 57

Louisville 36 69

Maine 26 57

3-pt. goals – Louisville (4-13): Phillips 1-3, Bradley 1-2, Huggins 1-3, Taylor 0-2, Tokova 1-1, Neal 0-1, Olson 0-1; Maine (8-15): Traversi 4-5, Underwood 2-4, Elderton 1-1, Barker 0-3, Corbitt 1-2

Attendance: 1,091