Presque Isle, ME - The UMPI Owls were in need of a big North Atlantic Conference win on Saturday afternoon and did battle with SUNY Canton for 40 minutes of play but came up on the short end of a 75 to 63 score. The Roos (4-10, 3-3 NAC) came away with a huge weekend sweep over Me-Presque Isle (5-9, 1-5 NAC).

UMPI jumped out to a quick 4 to 0 lead on a short jumper by Marissa Valdivia-Reagle (So. Seattle, WA) and a driving layup by Sarah Musselman (Fr. Turlock, CA). Two minutes later a Hunter Mercier (Fr. Fairfield, ME) layup and a Valdivia-Reagle free throw put the Owls up 7 to 2 before the Roos Beanna Culllers hit an elbow jumper. Valdivia-Reagle fed Rhylee Wright for a layup and Wright added a foul shot to up the lead to 10 to 4. Late in the 1st quarter with 42 seconds remaining, Mercier would get a pass from Musselman and connect on a long 3 pointer before SUNY Canton's Antanasia Chambers hit a layup at the buzzer and the Owls lead would stand at 18 to 14. 

Marissa Valdivia-Reagle would score early in the 2nd quarter on a steal and layup and a 20 to 14 UMPI lead but then the Owls would go scoreless for 3 minutes and the visitors would surge ahead 23 to 20 when Jeanna Manning nailed a 3 pointer at the 7:00 mark. An Emmy Churchill 3 pointer for Me-Presque Isle would tie the game up at 23 apiece a minute later. SUNY Canton would go into the lockeroom at the half with a 34 to 28 cushion.

A Musselman floater in the lane got UMPI to within 34 to 30 to start the 2nd half before Jenifer Morgan-Aubin elbow jumper made it 36 to 30 SUNY Canton. A couple of minutes later Mercier hit another 3 pointer to knot the game at 38. The two teams would trade hoops the rest of the quarter and the Roos would enter the 4th quarter with a 50 to 57 lead.

UMPI would fall behind by 9 points early in the 4th period and would work to get it back to within 5 points but that's the closest the Owls could get.

Antanasia Chambers paced the Roos with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Autumn Watkins scored 17 and added a team-high 11 rebounds while Cullers chipped in with 16 points. UMPI was led by Hunter Mercier with a career high 21 points, Wright scored 18 and Musselman added 13 points.

Next up: The Owls will host Bowdoin on Monday January 4th at 3:00PM.