Jeffers lifts UMFK women to Sunrise title

SOUTH PORTLAND – Arcilla Jeffers poured in a game-high 40 points and grabbed 17 rebounds Sunday to power the University of Maine-Fort Kent to a 70-65 women’s basketball victory over SUNY Canton in the Sunrise Conference Championship game at Southern Maine Community College.

With the victory, coach Lucas Levesque’s Bengals get an automatic bid to the NAIA II National Tournament for the third time in the last five years. The tournament runs March 12-18 at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa.

Ashley Ames tallied 15 points and eight rebounds while Alisa Licata chipped in with 13 points and eight assists for UMFK, which avenged two regular-season losses to Canton.

Shannon LaFave paced SUNY Canton with 17 points.

UM-Fort Kent (18-10) 70

Jeffers 16-8-40, Ames 6-3-15, Licata 4-2-13, Fuchs, Garrison 0-2-2, Tracy, Bassue, Ribera

SUNY Canton (12-9) 65

Small 1-2-4, Ploof 4-2-10, Farrell 2-2-8, Davis 3-0-6, LaFave 7-0-17, Maynard 2-2-6, Peck, Vander Wiel 6-2-14

3-pt. goals: Licata 3; Farrell 2, LaFave 3

Halftime: SUNY-Canton 35-31