BOSTON – This season has been a struggle for the University of Maine women’s basketball team.

That reality is magnified against some of the Black Bears’ tougher America East opponents.

Boston University demonstrated Sunday afternoon why it is again a conference contender, hitting 11 3-pointers on its way to an 80-61 victory at Agganis Arena.

The Terriers (11-6, 4-2 America East) raced to a 22-point, first-half lead while handling the injury-plagued Bears.

“Maine’s been at the top of the league so long and now it’s a situation where we’re in a rebuilding year – if you would call it that – but we are down, and I think teams are taking that opportunity and really coming after us hard,” said Maine coach Ann McInerney.

UMaine slipped to 6-12, 2-5 in America East, suffering its fourth loss in the last five games. Maine has dropped eight straight on the road.

The Bears’ injury woes continued. Senior Katie Whittier of New Gloucester, diagnosed recently with a stress fracture in her left foot, was able to play only 14 minutes Sunday.

McInerney said Whittier may be out the next two weeks.

Junior Ashley Underwood of Benton was solid with 11 points in 33 minutes but is contending with a left ankle she sprained nine days ago. She committed an uncharacteristic six turnovers.

“Katie on a stress fracture gives us 14 minutes and basically had to take herself out of the game,” McInerney said. “Ashley hasn’t practiced but came back and gave us everything she had. But we’re just really limited.”

Bracey Barker of Bar Harbor carried the Bears, matching her career high with 26 points. The junior, who went 10-for-10 from the foul line, also grabbed eight rebounds and made two steals.

“I talked with coach and she said we’re down two players and I’d have to step up my game even more,” Barker said. “That’s what I’m trying to do the best I can.”

Senior center Abby Schrader provided 11 points, all in the second half, and seven rebounds but wasn’t an offensive factor in the first half. She made seven turnovers.

The Bears’ offensive woes were evident as they were credited with only three assists and turned the ball over 23 times.

Rachel Vanderwal paced BU with 17 points and snatched nine rebounds. Erica Kovach and Katie Meinhardt tossed in 14 points each and Christine Kinneary added 11.

BU shot 48 percent (30-for-63) from the floor, including a 55-percent performance from 3-point range.

“We knew coming into the game that they all could shoot and we just didn’t do a very good job getting out on the shooters,” Barker said.

The Terriers quickly opened up an 11-2 lead in the first 2 1/2 minutes on their way to a 41-23 halftime advantage.

Vanderwal took a feed from Kovach and scored a layup off the opening tap, then Cheri Raffo hit a 3-pointer on BU’s next possession. Barker answered with a move in the lane, but Vanderwal drained 3-pointers 35 seconds apart to make it 11-2 with only 2:24 gone off the clock.

“They took it right at us. We were caught back on our heels right from the start,” McInerney said.

UMaine struggled offensively against BU’s man-to-man defense and committed 13 first-half turnovers. The Bears made one field goal during a span of 7 1/2 minutes as the hosts built a 35-13 lead with 4:27 left in the half.

TERRIERS 80, BLACK BEARS 61

Maine women (6-12) Boston Univ. (12-6)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Whittier 2 4 0 0 4 Devine 3 7 6

Barker 8 16 10 10 26 Kovach 6 12 14

Schrader 2 5 7 8 11 Kinneary 2 11

Younan 0 1 0 1 0 Raffo 2 7 6

Undrwood 3 8 4 4 11 Vandrwal 7 12 0 0 17

Hgstd-Vaa 0 2 1 4 1 Dini 2 3 6

Elderton 1 4 4 5 6 Lipschitz 0 0

Bryant 0 6 0 0 0 Jean 0 1 0

Bowen 0 0 0 0 0 Meinhardt 6 11 0 0 14

Kilmurray 1 2 0 0 2 Petranoff 0 0

Umz-Ernni 0 0 0

Brks-Wily 2 4 6

Ozimok 0 0 0 0

Totals 17 48 26 32 61 30 63 10 80

Maine 23 61

B.U. 41 80

3-pt. goals – Maine (1-9): Underwood 1-3, Barker 0-6; B.U. (11-20): Vanderwal 3-3, Raffo 2-3, Dini 2-3, Kovach 2-5, Meinhardt 2-5, Jean 0-1