THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Maine 59, Hartford 56
RECORDS: Hartford (14-10, 6-5 AE); Maine (16-8, 9-2 AE)
LOCATION: Cross Insurance Center (Bangor, Maine)
 
THE LEAD:
 
Senior forward Darby Lee scored a career-high 24 points, but it wasn't enough for the University of Hartford women's basketball team, as it fell at Maine in a 59-56 decision on Monday night. The Hawks overcame a pair of double-digit deficits in the first and fourth quarters, but they were unable to hold off the red-hot Black Bears, who have won seven-straight games.

Julie Brosseau and Blanca Millan each scored 19 points to pace Maine. The Black Bears shot 40 percent from behind the arc in the win, going 10-of-25 on the night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• A hot start out of the gates allowed Maine to jump out to a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter. Brosseau accounted for half of Maine's points in that stretch as the Black Bears shot 6-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three, to take a 16-4 lead.
• The Hawks stormed back from their early deficit, though, behind a solid defensive effort. Ending the quarter on a 6-0 run to pull within six, Hartford took a seven-point lead (23-16) midway through the second with 13 more unanswered points. During that 10-minute stretch, which was fueled by 10 points from Lee, the Hawks forced 10 Black Bears' turnovers.
• An 8-3 Black Bears' rally featuring eight-straight points from Millan closed the gap to one before a jumper by freshman Jade Young before the horn gave the Hawks a 28-25 advantage at the half.
• Hartford held on to its lead until a Brosseau three-pointer tied up the game at 34-all with 5:10 left in the third. That bucket ignited a 14-0 Maine run that put the Black Bears on top, 45-34, at the end of the third.
• Despite falling behind by as many as 12, the Hawks chipped away at their deficit and made it a one-possession game on a Young three-pointer with 3:21 to go. 
• With 2:06 remaining, Abed drilled a jumper from the elbow to pull the Hawks within one before junior Kelly Douglass capitalized on a Maine turnover by banking in a shot 35 seconds later to give Hartford the edge at 56-55 with 1:31 left.
• But down the stretch, the Black Bears scored on two empty Hawks' possessions to reclaim the lead. Tanesha Sutton gave Maine a one-point edge with 22 seconds remaining on a layup before Dor Saar made 2-of-2 from the line with two seconds left to seal the win.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE & NOTES:
 

• Lee had a hot hand from the field, going 9-of-16 (.563). She came one board shy of a double-double, finishing with nine to pace the Hawks in the category.
• Young, who recorded six steals, and Abed each finished with nine points.
• Turnovers were in favor of the Hawks, as they forced 28 while committing 18.
• The Black Bears finished with the edge on the boards (34-28), led by eight from Millan. She added six steals.

 
NEXT ON TAP:
The Hawks have five days before their next game, which lands the team in Albany for a Sunday matinee against the Great Danes. Tipoff from SEFCU Arena is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN3.