Orono, Maine – UMBC junior forward Keelah Dixon (Boston, Mass.) led the way with 16 points, but the visiting Retrievers fell at red-hot Maine, 70-59, in the first of back-to-back games with the Black Bears.

The Retrievers started brightly and led, 14-6, after a pair of free throws by Dixon with 3:20 to play in the first quarter.  But Maine outscored UMBC, 12-2 to end the quarter and led, 18-16 after 10 minutes.

The Black Bears outscored UMBC, 18-10, in the second quarter and took a 36-26 halftime lead.

Dixon knocked down a pair of third quarter treys, but the Retrievers were outscored, 21-18, and trailed, 57-44, after 45 minutes.

Maine led by as many as 19 points in the final quarter, but UMBC finished strong, totaling the final 8 points of the game on treys by Danae Marquez and Dixon, sandwiched around a Lacey Drake jumper.

Dixon hit 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc. Janee'a Summers (Bound Brook, N.J.) was the other Retriever in double figures with 11 points.

Alexia Nelson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added nine points and six assists for the Retrievers.
The same two teams play tomorrow in Orono with a 1:00 p.m. tip-off time.