THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Maine 59, Hartford 44
RECORDS: Hartford (12-7, 4-2 AE); Maine (11-8, 4-2 AE)
LOCATION: Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion (West Hartford, Conn.)
PHOTO GALLERY
 
THE LEAD:
 
Maine jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on Thursday evening, taking a 59-44 decision from the University of Hartford women's basketball team in America East action. Blanca Millan scored 15 points to lead three Black Bears in double figures.
 
Senior Darby Lee led all scorers with 16 points, while junior transfer Alexia Douglas added 11 points. The defeat snapped Hartford's six-game home winning streak, which dated back to last November.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• Second-chance opportunities and turnovers allowed Maine to jump out to a 12-4 lead after the first quarter. The Black Bears' defense was stifling during that opening 10 minutes, holding the Hawks to a 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) effort.
• The offense started to come alive for the Hawks in the second quarter. Shooting 56.5 percent (6-of-11) from the field, Hartford brought a 10-point deficit down to seven at 23-16 with 2:39 to go on a three-pointer from Douglas. She had nine points in the first half as Hartford trailed, 27-18, at the break.
• A 5-2 spurt to start the second half closed the gap to six in the opening minutes, but the Black Bears reclaimed their double-figure lead behind the strength of an 8-0 run that saw Millan contribute four points. Leading 37-27, Maine scored eight of the game's next 10 points to open up a 16-point lead (45-29) in the final seconds of the third.
• The Hawks managed to pull within nine thanks to a buzzer-beating shot from beyond three-point territory from junior Lindsey Abed, but Maine opened the final quarter with a 10-2 run to put the game out of reach.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE & NOTES:

• Abed stuffed the stat sheet for Hartford with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal.
• For the first time this season, Hartford committed more turnovers than its opponent. The Hawks registered 17 miscues on the night to Maine's nine.
• The Black Bears controlled the rebounds with a 37-24 advantage. Maine scored over one-third of its points on second-chance opportunities, holding a 21-5 advantage in the category.

 
NEXT ON TAP:
Hartford continues America East play with a road trip to Burlington, Vt., to take on the Vermont Catamounts on Sunday. The 2 p.m. tip will be broadcast live on ESPN3.