BANGOR, Maine – Senior Amber Bepko and sophomore Morgan Lumb led the University of Hartford women's basketball team (13-12, 7-4 America East) with 11 and 10 points, respectively, as the Hawks dropped a 63-45 road decision at Maine on Sunday afternoon.

Bepko and Lumb combined to shoot 8-of-21 from the field including making five of the Hawks seven total three pointers. Bepko led the way beyond the arc making three from long range, while Lumb finished with two. As a team, the Hawks finished the game shooting 30.8 percent from the field on 16-of-52, while making 7-of-21 from beyond the arc (33.3 percent). The Hawks also finished the game a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line with all six from freshman forward Darby Lee.

The Hawks trailed Maine 32-28 in the battle of the boards with senior Cherelle Moore leading the way with seven boards. Of the 28 total rebounds, the Hawk pulled down 11 on the offensive end of the floor, turning those into 11 seconds chance points. As a team, the Hawks combined for 13 assists on the 16 made baskets, led by sophomore point guard Deanna Mayza who dished out six.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

·       Senior Amber Bepko led the Hawks offense for a team-leading 12th time, while scoring in double figures for the 19th time in 25 total games. Bepko finished with 11 points on 4-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-8 from beyond the three point arc.

·       Sophomore Morgan Lumb finished just behind Bepko with 10 points, eight of which came over the final 20 minutes. In the second half alone, Lumb made 50-percent of her shots, going 3-of-6, including 2-of-4 from long range. Overall for the game, she finished 4-of-11 from the field.

·       The Hawks finished the game shooting 30.8 percent overall on 16-of-52, including connecting on seven three pointers in 21 attempts for 33.3 percent. The Hawks also finished a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line, with all six free throws from freshman Darby Lee.

·       The 100-percent effort at the free throw line is the second time this season the Hawks have finished perfect at the line as a team, after going 11-of-11 against Florida State at the Cancun Challenge. The 6-of-6 effort for Lee matches the season best for an individual, which was previously set by Deanna Mayza (vs. Lafayette) and Lumb (vs. Quinnipiac).

·       Hartford trailed the Black Bears in the battle of the boards 32-28, led by senior Cherelle Moore who pulled down seven rebounds, her team-high 17th time leading the team in rebounding.

·       Sophomore forward La'Trice Hall scored the first four Hawks points against Maine and added one more basket in the first half to match her career-high of six points set four times previously.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

·       The first four points for the Hawks came from sophomore La'Trice Hall who started her second-straight game. With those four points along with an additional jumper, Hall finished the opening half with six points, matching her career high set four times as a freshman.

·       Senior guard Amber Bepko led the Hawks in the opening half with nine points, all of which came from beyond the three point arc. Bepko finished the first half shooting 3-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-6 from long range.

·       Hartford answered a 12 point deficit midway through the first half with back-to-back three pointers from Bepko. Sophomores Morgan Lumb and Deanna Mayza set up the baskets with Lumb's assist part of three total in the first half for the North Andover, Mass. native.

·       The Hawks trailed in the battle of the boards by a 16-15 margin following the first 20 minutes, led by senior Cherelle Moore who pulled down five, the most by any player in the first half.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

·       The Hawks used their largest rally of the afternoon, an 11-2 stretch, to pull within 11 points just under seven minutes into the second half. Deanna Mayza opened that run with a three pointer followed by a pair of free throws from Darby Lee as the Hawks put up five-unanswered. Following a jumper for the Black Bears, Morgan Lumb went back-to-back from beyond the three point arc thanks to passes from Mayza to pull the Hawks to 41-30.

·       Defensively, the Hawks held Maine to just two field goals and five points total over the final five minutes, while scoring 10 points of their own. The first six points over that stretch all came on layups from Cherelle Moore, while Lee closed out the game going a perfect 4-of-4 at the free throw line over the final 95 seconds.

·       Lumb would lead Hartford in the second half scoring eight of her 10 points on a 50-percent shooting effort. The guard finished the second half shooting 3-of-6 overall, including 2-of-4 from beyond the three point arc.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·       Senior Amber Bepko scored in double figures, 11 points, for a team-high 19th time, and has now led the team in scoring for a team-high 12th time.

·       Sophomore La'Trice Hall finished the game scoring six points, all in the first half, which matched her season high, set four times as a freshman. Her most recent six point outing came against UMass Lowell on 1.20.14

·       Sophomore Morgan Lumb scored eight of her 10 points in the second half as she finished in double figures for the sixth time overall.

·       Senior Cherelle Moore led the Hawks in rebounding for a team-high 17th time as she pulled down seven rebounds, including three offensive boards.

·       For the second game in a row, the Hawks finished with an advantage in second chance points as they scored 11 points on 11 total offensive rebounds, compared to nine points for the Black Bears.

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)

·       SR guard Amber Bepko scored in double figures for the 19th time to lead the Hawks with 11 points.

·       SR forward Cherelle Moore chipped in six points, while leading the team in rebounding for the 12th time with seven boards.

·       Freshman Darby Lee finished a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line, the third time this season a Hawks hasn't missed a free throw attempt.

UP NEXT
The Hawks will enjoy their second bye of the season and return home in six days for a single game stop. Hartford will welcome the UMass Lowell River Hawks to the Chase Family Arena on Valentine's Day. Tip off on Saturday, February 14 is scheduled for 2 p.m.