UMF, USM earn NCAA spots Bowdoin women advance; Maine Maritime gets at-large bid

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Bowdoin College, the University of Southern Maine, the University of Maine-Farmington and Maine Maritime Academy will represent the state of Maine later this week in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament.

All four teams have earned their way into the 63-team field, which was announced Sunday night by the NCAA, for the second straight season.

First-round pairings and host schools will be released this morning.

The Polar Bears of Brunswick, the Huskies from Gorham and the Beavers each earned one of 39 automatic berths awarded to conference champions. The Mariners of Castine received an at-large bid for the second year in a row and were among 24 teams to do so.

North Atlantic Conference

UM-Farmington 61, MMA 58

At Dearborn Gymnasium in Farmington on Saturday, freshman Caitlyn Laflin scored seven consecutive points in the closing minutes to help the top-seeded Beavers erase a four-point deficit and win their second straight North Atlantic Conference title.

Tournament MVP Kari Simpson poured in 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to spark top-seeded and 23rd-ranked UMaine-Farmington, which earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Laflin tallied 18 points for the Beavers, who beat the No. 22 Mariners, the second seed, for the third time this season.

Alyssa Burns scored 18 points to pace second-seeded Maine Maritime Academy of Castine, which missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Michelle Gott-Stilwell contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds while Julia Knights netted 16 points en route to all-tourney honors.

UMF led by as many as 16 points (39-23) early in the second half, but MMA rallied to take a 56-52 lead with 1:58 left. That set the stage for Laflin’s heroics.

UMF’s Amanda Byrne, Annie McIntosh of Husson College in Bangor and Castleton State’s Jenn Goff also were named to the all-tourney team.

Maine Maritime Acad. (25-3) 58

Leeman 3-0-7, Eiane, Burns 5-6-18, Gott-Stilwell 4-1-11, Knights 7-2-16, Provencher, Moore 1-0-3, Franklin 1-1-3, Quimby, Hayden

UMaine-Farmington (25-3) 61

Porter, Byrne 2-0-4, Simpson 8-4-21, Laflin 6-6-18, Sirois 3-0-7, Boyd, Wiley 1-0-3, Johnson, Bossie 3-2-8

3-pt. goals: Leeman, Burns 2, Gott-Stilwell 2, Moore; Simpson, Sirois, Wiley

Halftime: UMF 31-20

Little East Conference

So. Maine 68, Keene State 57

At Gorham, Ashley Marble poured in a game-high 26 points and snatched 10 rebounds Saturday to power the top-seeded and eighth-ranked Southern Maine to victory over Keene State (N.H.) at Hill Gymnasium for its 11th consecutive Little East Conference championship.

Marble was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and will lead the Huskies into the NCAA Division III Tournament. In the process, the senior from Topsfield became the program’s career rebounding leader with 1,115.

Lindsey Welch tossed in 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds for USM, while Nicole Paradis added 10 points, four assists and three steals.

Michele Boudreau led the second-seeded Owls with 14 points. Kristin Degou and Sarah Begnoche posted 12 and 11, respectively.

USM trailed at halftime, but outscored the Owls 16-4, sparked by five points from Marble, to open the second half and take the lead for good.

Keene State (21-6) 57

Boudreau 5-0-14, Degou 5-0-12, Begnoche 5-1-11, Barnes 1-0-3, Jamiel 3-2-8, Simmler, Sapp 1-0-2, Kinney 1-3-5, Johannesen 1-0-2

Southern Maine (25-2) 68

Welch 4-2-13, Paradis 4-0-10, Marble 8-9-26, Kent 2-0-5, Santa Fe 4-0-8, Ross 2-0-6, Johnson, O’Tash, Samuelson

3-pt. goals: Boudreau 4, Degou 2, Barnes; Welch 3, Paradis 2, Marble, Kent, Ross 2

Halftime: Keene State 32-29

NESCAC

Bowdoin 64, Tufts 48

At Brunswick on Sunday, Julia Loonin hit a 3-pointer and a layup during a key 10-1 second-half run that lifted the top-ranked and top-seeded Polar Bears to their seventh consecutive New England Small College Athletic Conference championship.

Bowdoin earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Eileen Flaherty scored 19 points, 10 from the foul line, to spark Bowdoin. Loonin finished with 13 points while Alexa Kaubris and Leah Rubega added 12 each.

Valerie Krah and Khalilah Ummah led No. 2 seed Tufts of Medford, Mass., with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Tufts (18-8) 48

Krah 5-1-13, Miller-Stevens 2-3-7, Gomez 3-1-7, Jasinski 1-0-2, Park, Wholey, Filocco 2-0-5, Sullivan, Synborski, Ummah 5-2-12, Moynihan 1-0-2

Bowdoin (26-1) 64

Anelauskas, Loonin 4-3-13, Cummings 2-1-5, Kaubris 4-3-12, Flaherty 4-10-19, Noucas, Hynes, Cote 1-0-3, Rubega 5-2-12

3-pt. goals: Krah 2, Filocco; Loonin 2, Kaubris, Flaherty, Cote

Halftime: Tufts 22-21

Bowdoin 66, Williams 46

At Brunswick Saturday, the Polar Bears shot 65 percent in the second half to advance to Sunday’s league final.

Eileen Flaherty paced top-seeded Bowdoin with 20 points and nine rebounds. Julia Loonin added 12 points.

Meghan O’Malley led fourth-seeded Williams of Williamstown, Mass., with 14 points. Meghan Stetson and Maggie Miller added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Williams (20-6) 46

Tildsley, Stetson 4-1-11, O’Malley 6-2-14, Lorge 4-0-8, Miller 3-4-10, Ludwig, Hansen, de la Torr, Savageau, Peterman 1-0-3, Wilk, Salemi, Finn, Livermore

Bowdoin (25-1) 66

Anelauskas 2-2-6, Loonin 4-1-12, Cummings 2-0-6, Kaubris 3-0-6, Flaherty 6-7-20, Noucas 1-2-5, Hynes 1-0-2, Cote 1-0-2, Rubega 3-1-7

3-pt. goals: Stetson 2, Peterman; Loonin 3, Cummings 2, Flaherty, Noucas

Halftime: Bowdoin 26-25

Tufts 52, Bates 39

At Brunswick on Saturday, the No. 2 Jumbos built a 20-point halftime lead while ousting third-seeded Bates of Lewiston in the NESCAC semifinals at Bowdoin College.

Jenna Gomez powered Tufts with 14 points.

Sarah Barton led Bates with 14 points and nine rebounds. Lauren Yanofsky posted 12 points.

Bates (15-10) 39

Barton 4-4-14, Fitzgerald, Yanofsky 6-0-12, Beckwith 3-0-6, Franklin 1-0-3, Goodridge, Carroll 1-0-2, Lanchantin 1-0-2, Schaefers

Tufts (18-7) 52

Krah 3-0-6, Miller-Stevens 1-6-8, Gomez 5-4-14, Jasinski 1-4-6, Park, Filocco 3-0-7, Ummah 0-2-2, Moynihan 3-0-9

3-pt. goals: Barton 2, Franklin; Filocco, Moynihan 3

Halftime: Tufts 29-9

Division III Independents

Saint Joseph’s 63, UMPI 46

At Lincoln University, Pa., on Saturday, Sasha Bowen and Megan Farrell each tossed in 11 points as the Monks of Standish held off the Owls in the consolation game of the Association of Division III Independents tournament.

Meg Willette added 10 points for Saint Joseph’s.

Julie Wescott paced UMaine-Presque Isle with 13 points and Leah Joy had 12 as the Owls outscored the Monks 33-30 in the second half.

Saint Joseph’s (11-15) 63

Bowen 3-5-11, Farrell 3-5-11, Willette 4-0-10, Freeman 2-2-7, Miner 3-1-7, Kamal 3-0-6, Lint 2-0-4, Ludwig 2-0-4, Banks 1-0-3, Brett, Fitzmaurice, Enright, Coutu, Morrison

UM-Presque Isle (15-8) 46

Wescott 5-1-13, Joy 6-0-12, Brooker 2-2-7, Lenentine 2-2-6, Davis 2-0-4, Epright 1-0-2, Russell 1-0-2, Hopkins, Bubar, Maynard, Sloat, Phillips

3-pt. goals: Willette 2, Banks, Freeman; Wescott 2, Brooker

Halftime: St. Joseph’s 33-13

Men’s basketball

Division III Independents Saint Joseph’s 89, Lincoln 80

At Standish Saturday, Elbie Murphy poured in 34 points and had four assists to power the Monks to the Association of Division III Independents Northeast Region title.

Marcus Alexander added 14 points for Saint Joseph’s while Colby Emmons had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Chad Pulkkinen tossed in 12 points.

Tyreek Byard led Lincoln University (Pa.) with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Alexander was named the tournament MVP. Pulkkinen, Murphy and Byard were named to the all-tournament team with Lincoln’s Earl Miller and Newbury’s Arch Mitchell.

Newbury beat Mitchell 92-52 in the consolation game.

Lincoln (18-8) 80

Byard 9-0-19, D. Washington 1-1-3, Lahart 1-1-3, Miller 6-2-16, Darryl White 2-1-5, Blanton 4-3-13, Wylie 3-0-9, Johnson 2-0-4, Z. Washington, Carter-Bey 1-0-2, Grimes 2-0-6, Wilchcombe, Wooten

Saint Joseph’s (20-7) 89

Vachon 3-0-6, Murphy 9-12-34, Pulkkinen 3-5-12, Alexander 6-2-14, Mileski 1-0-2, Mattison, Eatmon, Plummer 1-5-7, Emmons 5-4-14

3-pt. goals: Wylie 3, Blanton 2, Miller 2, Byard; Murphy 4, Pulkkinen

Halftime: St. Joseph’s 46-42

NESCAC

Amherst 82, Colby 55

At Amherst, Mass., on Saturday, the host top-seeded Lord Jeffs raced to a 20-point halftime lead while ousting No. four Colby College of Waterville from the New England Small College Athletic Conference tournament.

Amherst connected on 16 3-pointers while placing five players in double figures, led by Dan Wheeler with 18 points and Fletcher Walters with 17.

Nick Farrell paced the White Mules with 17 points. Drew Cohen and Mac Simpson contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Colby (15-11) 55

Cohen 5-2-12, Simpson 3-2-10, Farrell 6-0-17, Westbrooks 3-1-7, Choice 2-0-4, Cutrone 1-0-2, Lemmons, Featherston 1-0-3, Sherman, Bandi, Cheney, Planeta, Shers, Chase

Amherst (25-1) 82

Olson 4-0-10, McLaughlin 1-2-4, Baskauskas 4-0-14, O’Shea 0-2-2, D. Wheeler 7-0-18, Bradley, Carcieri 1-0-2, S. Wheeler, Walters 5-2-17, Salerno 1-0-3, Holsey, Hopkins 5-2-12, Wong, Jones

3-pt. goals: Simpson 2, Farrell 5, Featherston; Olson 2, Baskauskas 4, D. Wheeler 4, Walters 5, Salerno

Halftime: Amherst 50-30

Women’s hockey

Boston College 4, Maine 0

At Chestnut Hill, Mass., Becky Zavisza notched two goals Saturday to lead eighth-ranked Boston College past Maine.

Kelli Stack and Allie Thunstrom added a goal each for the 15-6-0 Eagles. Molly Schaus had 20 saves in her fifth shutout.

Rachel Gettings stopped 23 shots for the 10-19-2 Black Bears.