Lyndonville, VT - Northern Vermont University-Lyndon was unable to overtake the University of Maine at Farmington in the second half of Saturday's North Atlantic Conference women's basketball game. The visiting Owls led throughout the second half and cruised to a 71-58 victory. UMPI improved to 14-9 on the season and 8-5 in conference, while Lyndon fll to 10-13 overall and 6-7 in the NAC.
The opening quarter was tightly contested, with scoring hard to come by for much of the stanza. When Lyndon's Christina McKivergan (Essex, VT) connected on her third three-point goal of the period, the Hornets had a 9-7 lead at the 2:28 mark. The Owls responded with a pair of Emily Wheaton baskets sandwiched around a Aleia Milano three-pointer to take a 14-9 lead after one quarter.
UMPI extended their lead to eight at 21-13 following two Kourtney West free throws midway through the second quarter. Saleena Porter (St. Johnsbury, VT) then knocked down a jumper and Sage Smith (Colebrook, NH) converted a pair of free throws to get the Hornets back within four. Riann Fortin (Derby, VT) follwoed with six straight points to put Lyndon back in front, 23-21. The lead was short lived, however, as Wheaton connected from distance on UMPI's next possession and the Owls closed the half on an 8-2 run to take a 29-24 lead into halftime.
As the second half began, UMPI gradually extended their advantage. Lauren Magno's three-pointer made it a 10-point game, and back to back threes from Milano puhed the lead to 56-39 through three quarters. Lyndon tried to chip away in the final period, but the Hornets were never able to trim the deficit back to single digits, as the Owls cruised to the finish line with the win.
Milano and Wheaton were the offensive stars for UMPI. Milano finished with 23 points on 8/13 shooting, including 4/8 from behind the arc. Wheaton added 21 points and was 8/16 and also 4/8 from distance. Alexis Ireland pulled down a team best 11 rebounds.
McKivergan led Lyndon with a career best 22 points, including 7/14 from three-point range. Fortin and Porter both recorded double doubles, with Fortin notching a 17 point, 10 rebound effort and Porter finishing with 10 points and 12 boards.
The Hornets will close out the regular season with a Senior Night NAC crossover contest against Northern Vermotn University-Johnson on Tuesday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 pm.
Lyndon has also clinched a spot in the NAC playoffs. The Hornets expect to be seeded fourth in the East Division. The quarterfinal round will take place next Friday. Tournament pairings and game times will be announced by the conference office later this week.
