SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine—The Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) women's basketball was narrowly defeated by the Vikings from Villa Maria College 75-73 in the home opener inside the Hutchinson Union Building on Sunday, Oct. 31.
The Vikings took the first quarter 20-18 knocking down 4-5 three-pointers in the opening 10 minutes. SMCC tightened up its defensive effort in the second quarter to hold the opposition to 13 points and 5-17 from the floor; sophomore captain Tara Flanders (Windham, Maine) posted 17 of her 22 points in the first half to give the SeaWolves a 36-33 advantage at the break.
Villa Maria outscored the home team by a 10-point margin in the third quarter, much to do with Danyea Barclay's 12 points in 10 minutes of work. The SeaWolves again responded with an energetic fourth quarter performance 22-17 but weren't able to convert on a last-chance out-of-bounce play that would prove to be the difference.
Villa's Barclay led all scorers in the game with 27 points on 11-17 shooting, adding seven blocks.
Flanders finished with a balanced scoresheet that featured four rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Sophomore captain Bailey Whitney (Norway, Maine) matched a career high 19 points and added 16 rebounds; first-year guard Hannah Richards (Bradley, Maine) netted 16.
The SeaWolves begin their season 0-1; the Vikings head home owning a 2-1 overall record.
The action continues when SMCC travels to NAIA Div. II Fisher College on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Hellenic College (Brookline, Mass.).
For the latest on SMCC's athletic programs, log onto GoSMCCSeawolves.com or follow Southern Maine Community College Athletics on Twitter @SMCCseawolves and on Facebook SMCC Seawolves.
