BIDDEFORD — One thing’s for sure: No one on the floor at the University of New England’s Harold Alfond Forum on Tuesday night checked out early for the holiday break.

Alanna Vose scored 21 points – including six 3-pointers – and Meghan Gribbin added 15 points to lead UNE to a 68-64 victory over Bowdoin in a back-and-forth non-conference women’s basketball game.

“We needed everybody the whole time, that’s for sure,” UNE Coach Anthony Ewing said. “We started really slowly; (Bowdoin) really took it to us the first five or six minutes. To the (Nor’easters’) credit, like they always do, they kept their heads and kept grinding.”

Sara Binkhorst led Bowdoin (3-2) with 19 points and five rebounds. Shannon Brady had 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

“We had some key people who didn’t have a great night,” Ewing said. “Our post players went 4 for 19 and had zero offensive rebounds. Normally that’s a loss but we grind it out. It’s going to be someone different each night.”

Each team fought back from 11-point deficits, the score tied four times and the lead change three times. UNE (3-1) grabbed the lead for the last time with 3:12 to play when Gribbin, a junior guard from Windham, stole the ball and drove the length of the court for a layup to make it 55-54. She hit a foul shot to complete the three-point play to make it 56-54. She then shook off blurry vision to hit four free throws in the final 10 seconds to put the game out of reach, 68-64.

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After watching Bowdoin pull ahead 17-6 over the first six minutes, the Nor’easters got a shot in the arm from Vose, who came off the bench.

“I was jittery all day in class,” said Vose, who grew up in Cushing and is a Medomak Valley High graduate. “I live for these big games. Coming off the bench I was ready to get the energy going. I was just feeling it tonight.”

Also to UNE’s advantage: A 43 percent (10 of 23) to 16 percent (4 of 24) edge in 3-pointers, 20 more trips to the free-throw line (31-11) and 19 turnovers committed by the Polar Bears, compared to 13 for the Nor’easters.

“At halftime we talked about driving the basketball against them,” Bowdoin Coach Adrienne Shibles said. “When we did do that we were really effective. When we didn’t we were too passive. We’ve proven we can play with anyone. We just need to string together more quality minutes, commit fewer turnovers and play gritty defense.”

When Bowdoin pulled within 39-37 on Siena Mitman’s layup with 15:55 to play, Gribbin responded with a jumper to make it 41-37, and Vose hit the first of three second-half 3-pointers to push UNE’s lead back to 44-37.

“The tempo kind of changed when she came in, she settled everyone down and made a couple of shots,” Ewing said. “What you saw tonight is what she does for us. When we’re flat, she sparks us.”

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UNE got a scare when Gribbin went down late after being poked in her right eye. The trainer cleared her to return and in she went with 25 seconds to go.

“My eye was really burning but there was no way I was not going back in,” she said. “I wanted the ball in my hands and get those foul shots.”

Ewing couldn’t have agreed more.

“Meghan essentially iced it for us,” Ewing said. “If she doesn’t make all four of those free throws, it could have been a different game.”


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