CASTINE, Maine -- Maine Maritime sank 6 of 6 free throws in the final 1:37 to secure a 56-50 win over Simmons College in the first round of the Mariner Pepsi Challenge Friday. The Mariners (1-0) advanced to to Saturday's championship tilt opposite Mount Holoyoke, a 77-63 winner over Bates, at 3 p.m. The Sharks (0-1) will take on Bates in the 1 p.m. consolation game.
Ashley Shine netted a team-best 13 points for Maine Maritime, Bekah Campbell scored 12 and Jillian Perron 10. Perron added seven rebounds and Hanna Lyons pulled down a game-high nine boards and dished out a game-best four assists.
Jen Janiak scored a game-high 17 points for Simmons, Liz Brasa had 11 and Kim Hixon 10. Leah Davis and Gracie Rolfe each had a team-high five rebounds.
The Mariners took their largest lead of the game in the second half, 44-36, after a pair of Campbell free throws with 7:19 left in the game. The Sharks answered with five-straight points to get within one, 44-43, after a Janiak three with 4:49 left. A pair of free throws from Cheyenne Malloy, and a layup by Shine, put Maine Maritime ahead 48-42 with 4:01 left in the game.
Simmons got as close as two, 52-50, after two free throws by Janiak but Lyons sank four free throws, and Perron two, in the final 1:19.
The Sharks jumped out to an early first half lead, 7-2, behind four points from Brasa and three from Leah Davis. Back-to-back Campbell buckets made it 7-6 with 16 minutes left in the first half. A Janiak jumper at 14:13 put Simmons ahead 12-8 and a Brasa jay at 8:53 gave the Sharks a 21-15 advantage.
Maine Maritime went on an 8-2 scoring run to even the game at 23-23 with 4:28 remaining. Perron led the run with four points, Kari Jones drained a trey and Alex Winchester hit a free throw for the Mariners.
The game was tied for a fourth time, 27-27, with 1:07 left before the break before Mackenzie Vosburgh sank a pair of free throws to give Maine Maritime a 29-27 at halftime.
In the second game,
Amber Legare and Nicole DeMarchena posted double-doubles in leading Mount Holoyoke to a 77-63 win over Bates College.
Legare netted 19 point and pulled down 14 rebounds and DeMarchena had 10 points with 12 rebounds. Three other Lyons' player reached double figure led by Kate Karraker's 20 points, while Jennine Vizcaino added 16 and Genelle Green 10.
Meredith Kelly led all scorers with with 26 points for Bates and Bernadette Connors added 12. Both players shared a team-high in rebounds with nine boards each.
MAINE MARITIME 56, SIMMONS 50
SIMMONS (0-1)
Jen Janiak 6-10 2-2 17; Liz Brasa 5-9 1-3 11; Kim Hixon 1-2 8-8 10; Leah Davis 0-6 3-3 3; Jamie Zoldy 1-4 0-0 2; Gracie Rolfe 1-4 0-0 2; Ashley McAdams 1-5 0-0 2; Hannah May 1-5 0-0 2; Nicole Alberghini 0-1 1-2 1; Eliza Henley 0-0 0-0 0; Katherine Kroeger 0-0 0-0 0; Kelsey Heavener 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-46 15-18 50.
MAINE MARITIME (1-0)
Ashley Shine 5-13 2-2 13; Rebekah Campbell 5-11 2-2 12; Jillian Perron 3-7 4-4 10; Cheyenne Malloy 2-6 2-2 7; Hanna Lyons 1-5 2-5 4; Alex Winchester 1-2 1-2 3; Kari Jones 1-5 0-0 3; Mackenzie Vosburgh 0-0 2-2 2; Kristi Willey 0-3 2-4 2. Totals 18-52 17-23 56.
Simmons....................... 27 23 - 50
Maine Maritime................ 29 27 - 56
3-point goals--Simmons 3-16 (Jen Janiak 3-7; Kim Hixon 0-1; Leah Davis 0-4; Jamie Zoldy 0-1; Gracie Rolfe 0-1; Hannah May 0-2), Maine Maritime 3-14 (Cheyenne Malloy 1-3; Kari Jones 1-4; Ashley Shine 1-5; Kristi Willey 0-2). Fouled out--Simmons-None, Maine Maritime-None. Rebounds--Simmons 33 (Gracie Rolfe 5; Leah Davis 5), Maine Maritime 37 (Hanna Lyons 9). Assists--Simmons 8 (Leah Davis 3), Maine Maritime 11 (Hanna Lyons 4). Total fouls--Simmons 21, Maine Maritime 16. Technical fouls--Simmons-None, Maine Maritime-None. A-129