AUGUSTA – Stacey Porrini got the chance to make her first career start for the University of Maine women’s basketball team Monday night.

Based on her performance against Dartmouth College, the 6-foot-4 sophomore center could become an important cog in the Black Bear machine. Porrini scored a career-high 14 points and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds while leading Maine to a 71-55 victory over the Big Green at the Augusta Civic Center.

The Bears evened their record at 2-2, while Dartmouth slipped to 2-1 after having beaten North Atlantic Conference members Vermont and New Hampshire to open the season.

Maine coach Joanne Palombo noticed during the first half that whenever the ball went inside, good things happened. Thus, the Bears came out in the second half and pushed the ball down low, where Porrini helped Maine get rolling.

“Stacey knew they had a tall post player, and she was up to the task,” Palombo said. “I felt Stacey played incredibly poised for a sophomore.”

With senior tri-captain Rita Sullivan sidelined by an ankle injury, Porrini knew she would be called upon. She was determined to be ready.

“I knew that I had to step up and try with Rita being out,” Porrini said. “We only had three post players. There was pressure, but I looked at it as a chance to step up and contribute to the team. I was really pumped to play.”

Freshman point guard Cindy Blodgett provided balance from outside, tossing in 12 of her game-high 17 points in the second half.

“Our inside players played very well tonight,” said Blodgett, who shook off her first-half woes. “I’m feeling a little more comfortable, but it’s not easy, by any means. I have to make sure that if I come out and have a good game, that I don’t relax.”

Leading 32-24, Maine opened the second half with a 20-6 run that covered the first eight minutes. Porrini and junior Steph Guidi scored from underneath to get it started.

Blodgett, who had been cold (2-for-8) in the first half, scored eight of Maine’s next 14 points to help the Bears pull away. She buried a 3-pointer, a seven-footer from the baseline and a 17-footer during the spurt.

“They had scouted us for outside shooting with Cindy and Trisha (Ripton) and Seana (Dionne), so we had to get it inside, establish a game there, and then pop it outside,” Palombo said.

Maine’s aggressive man-to-man defense, which had been solid in the first half, helped force seven turnovers in the first four minutes of the second half.

And the Big Green’s foul problems began to hurt them when 6-4 center Ilsa Webeck picked up her fourth foul at the 17:19 mark. That forced Laurie Stucker to become Dartmouth’s inside presence, but she committed her fourth personal near the end of the decisive spurt.

“We were plagued by fouls early,” said Dartmouth coach Chris Wielgus. “I think we missed a lot of shots and when we missed we became stagnant on offense.”

Porrini was virtually unstoppable inside, especially with Stucker and Webeck on the bench. Yet, there were many strong performances for Maine.

Guidi managed 13 points in 24 minutes, with Ripton contributing 10 points and eight rebounds. Catherine Gallant was tough defensively and added eight points and eight rebounds, while Stacia Rustad played well at guard coming off the bench.

The Bears, outrebounded 25-23 in the first half, came back to post a 26-11 advantage in the second half.

Webeck led Dartmouth with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Jen Stamp netted 13 points.

The Bears took most of the first half to get into synch on the offensive end. Dartmouth’s frontcourt tandem of Webeck and Kira Lawrence combined for 14 first-half rebounds to severely limit Maine’s second chances.

It was a Ripton free throw that kicked off an 11-2 Maine scoring run during the last four minutes of the half.

With the score knotted at 24, Gallant scored from down low off a Dionne feed as the Bears began to get its transition game going.

Rustad made a fast-break layup off a behind-the-back pass by Ripton, then two Guidi free throws and another Rustad layup off the break sent Maine into the locker room with a 32-24 edge.