HARTFORD, Conn. – Sophomore guard MaryLynne Schaefer came off the bench to lead the University of Hartford with 13 points in the Hawks’ 58-40 victory over the University of Maine on senior night at Chase Arena Tuesday.

Schaefer shot 50 percent (four of eight) from the field and also had six rebounds and four assists to help the 21-7 Hawks (14-1 in America East conference play) clinch a share of their second straight league regular season title with one game to play.

Freshman forward Diana Delva and senior guard Ikea Witt each scored 10 points for the Hawks. Sophomore forward Katie Keley had eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Senior forward Bracey Barker of Bar Harbor led the 13-13 (7-8) Black Bears with 11 points, her 17th straight conference game with double-digit scoring. Ashley Underwood of Benton contributed 10 points for the Bears.

Maine jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first four minutes before Hartford scored 10 of the next 14 points and never looked back. The Bears would score just seven points in the rest of the half and trail 25-13 at halftime.

The Hawks committed 13 turnovers to Maine’s nine, but outrebounded the Black Bears 15-7 on the offensive end and 43-26 overall. Hartford also outshot Maine 39.7 percent to 31.5 from the floor.

Maine winds up its regular- season schedule at Stony Brook University in New York Saturday at 4 p.m.

The contest will mark the final game of the 2006-07 regular season as Maine will then take part in the conference tournament from March 8-11 at Binghamton University in Vestal, N.Y. The winner of the tourney receives an automatic bid to the NCAA women’s Division I tournament.

Despite the loss, Maine currently sits in third, a half game ahead of Vermont (16-11, 6-8) and Binghamton (10-17, 6-8).

By virtue of its over Maine, Hartford clinched the top seed for the upcoming America East women’s basketball championship and at least a share of the regular-season title.

The Hawks’ 14-1 conference record is one game up on second-place Stony Brook (16-10, 12-2), with just two games remaining for Stony Brook and one left for Hartford. The Seawolves will be the two seed for the nine-team tournament with a shot of sharing the regular-season crown with Hartford if Stony Brook wins out and Hartford loses the regular-season finale at UMBC.

The log-jam in the middle of the standings will come into focus over the final week of the regular season. Boston University (14-14, 6-9) and UMBC (13-15, 6-9) are tied for sixth place just a half game out of fourth place.

New Hampshire (9-17, 4-10) and Albany (8-19, 4-10) are tied for eighth and both need to win out to try to avoid the opening round game.

HAWKS 58, BLACK BEARS 40

Maine (13-13) Hartford (21-7)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Younan 2 6 0 0 4 Pratt 0 0 0

Baker 0 1 0 0 0 Gomez 0 1 0

Undrwood 4 10 2 4 10 Witt 4 6 10

Hgstd-Vaa 2 5 0 0 4 Didonato 0 0

Boser 0 3 0 0 0 Matulis 2 5 6

Colon 0 0 0 0 0 Etienne 1 12 3

Whittier 1 5 0 0 2 Hood 4 9 8

Greene 2 6 0 0 6 Schaefer 4 13

Tksbury 1 3 1 2 3 Delva 4 6 10

Bowen 0 0 0 0 0 Kelley 4 11 8

Kilmurray 0 0 0 0 0

Barker 5 12 0 0 11

Vaitkute 0 3 0 0 0

Bratisho 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 17 54 3 6 40 Totals 23 58 11 58

Maine 13 40

Hartford 25 58

3-pt. goals – Maine (3-12): Greene 2-5, Barker 1-3, Younan 0-2, Underwood 0-2; Hartford (4-9): Schaefer 3-5, Etienne 1-4

Attendance: 1,563