SEATTLE – Living up to her advanced billing, Cindy Blodgett took charge when it mattered most Wednesday night and keyed the University of Maine women’s basketball team to a 73-69 victory over Santa Clara in the first round of the Husky Classic.

Blodgett, a 5-foot-9 point guard, scored a tournament record 32 points – two shy of a career high – including 11 of Maine’s last 17. She hit 11 of 21 field goal attempts and eight of 10 free throws as the Black Bears (8-3) won their fourth straight game.

They will play host Washington in Thursday’s tournament championship game. Washington defeated Rhode Island 90-68 in Wednesday’s second game.

Maine coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie said what impressed her the most about Blodgett’s performance was that it was accomplished against a variety of Santa Clara defenses.

“The greatest thing about it was that she was collecting two or three people and she still was able to come through,” Palombo-McCallie said.

Modestly, Blodgett said she was just glad that Maine won, but agreed that she stepped up her game in the final seven minutes when the outcome was in doubt.

“Not so much consciously,” Blodgett said. “But I know that’s the time for me to step it up.”

Trailing 57-56, Blodgett kicked off Maine’s winning spurt by hitting a turnaround five-footer with 7:07 to play. Moments later, she came up with an assist on a nifty pass to Stephanie Guidi, who converted a lay-in for a 60-57 Maine advantage.

After Santa Clara’s Linda Riedman hit a three-pointer – one of nine tallied by the Broncos – to tie the score at 60, Blodgett scored Maine’s next six points. Sandi Carver added a lay-in off a short drive to put Maine ahead 68-63 at 2:56.

The Broncos however, weren’t done. Two unanswered baskets by Christie Hallowell shaved Maine’s lead to 68-67. It was 70-69 when Blodgett picked up a loose ball in the key and hit a 5-footer to make it 72-69 with forty seconds left.

In the time remaining, Suzanne Ressa threw up a pair of errant 3-pointers for the Broncos, who were forced to foul while pursuing the rebounds. Carver kept up the suspense by missing the first of a one-in-one attempt with 13 ticks left, then Blodgett hit one of two at with two seconds to go to wrap it up.

Rassa, a 5-9 senior led Santa Clara with 24 points, with 12 coming on four 3-pointers. But she got only seven points in the second half.

Palombo-McCallie credited defensive adjustmensts with slowing down the Broncos after intermission.

“Emotionally, they were just more aggressive adjustments,” the coach said.

The Black Bears built a 20-16 lead with 10:10 to play in the first half before going almost six minutes without a field goal. The Broncos responded with a 21-4 run in building 37-24 lead with 4:47 remaining.

The Black Bears countered with 10-0 run that cut their deficit to 37-34.

Blodgett started the rally with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Stacia Rustad hit an eight-footer from along the baseline, Blodgett added two free throws, Carver hit a lay-in off an inbounds play and Guidi dropped a free throw.

Ressa restored some order for Santa Clara by hitting a 3-pointer to give the Broncos a 40-34 lead at intermission.

Black Bears 73, Broncos 69

Maine Santa Clara

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

Gallant 2 6 0 0 4 Gonzales 3 5 0 2 6

Porrini 3 7 0 0 6 Silacci 1 3 2 4 4

Blodgett 11 21 8 10 32 Sacco 1 5 0 0 3

Carver 5 9 3 5 13 Hollowell 5 9 2 4 12

Ripton 0 3 1 2 1 Ressa 9 17 2 2 24

Rustad 5 5 2 2 12 Brantley 4 14 0 0 11

Guidi 2 5 1 2 5 Riedman 3 5 0 0 7

Swank 1 2 0 0 2

Totals 28 56 15 21 73 Totals 27 60 6 12 69

Maine 34 73

Santa Clara 40 69

3-pt. goals: Maine (2-7): Blodgett 2-3, Ripton 0-3, Guidi 0-1; Santa Clara (9-32): Silacci 0-1, Sacco 1-3, Hollowell 0-2, Ressa 4-10, Brantley 3-12, Riedman 1-3, Swank 0-1