BURLINGTON, Vt. — Shots that normally fall didn’t. Looks that have been open all season were hidden away in a vault.

Everything the University of Maine women’s basketball team tried to do offensively in the America East championship game Friday came in fits. The Black Bears shot just 28.8%, and that’s a big reason why Vermont took a 61-43 win to repeat as conference champion.

It was the fifth time this season the Black Bears shot under 30%, and the first time since a loss at the New Jersey Institute of Technology a month ago. It couldn’t have come at worse time.

Maine coach Amy Vachon was quick to give credit to the Catamounts.

“I think a lot of it was their defense, to be honest with you. They were really good. I think some of it was us. We kind of got on our heels. We weren’t in attack mode. We weren’t ready to shoot all the time,” Vachon said. “I told them after the game, I think they’ve been the best team in the league all year, and I think they were tonight.”

The Black Bears shot around their season average of 41% in the two regular-season games against Vermont. In a 64-53 loss in Orono on Jan. 15, Maine shot 41.2% (21 for 51). In a 55-46 win in this same gym in Burlington on Feb. 5, Maine shot 40.8% (20 for 49).

Vermont coach Alisa Kresge looked at that loss to Maine as a chance to learn. The key to defending the Black Bears is to not let them think, she said. Don’t let them see shots that will be open in two or three passes. Instead, make them wonder where that help side defense came from as the seconds tick off the shot clock.

“I felt like last time, we telegraphed exactly what we were doing, and they saw it coming from a mile away,” Kresge said. “Our players did a much better job understanding the timing of where help was coming from, how to get to shooters faster, not get caught ball watching.”

Vermont guard Jadyn Weltz said everyone was focused on their job. Nikola Priede, Vermont’s 6-foot-2 lane-clogging center, said it was about following keys and the entire team being locked in.

“Never let up. Always keep pushing. It was our job, especially at the beginning, to keep pushing. Just try our hardest,” Priede said.

All that was a sentiment Kresge described in one word. Toughness.

“Maine, the last time we faced them, they were the tougher team in that game. Our players knew that, and owned it, and wanted to show they had more in them,” Kresge said.

Early on, it looked like all the effort in the world wouldn’t help the Catamounts. Maine led 9-2 at the media timeout midway through the first quarter. Coming out of the break, Vermont took over, holding Maine to 12 points the rest of the half.

Layups that normally fall for the Black Bears did the two-step around the rim and fell into the arms of a waiting Catamount rebounder. Jump shots hit the back of the iron and spun away. After having that early lead, Maine went into retreat mode, Vachon said. The Catamounts make you play that way, she said.

“Their defense is really good. I think in the first half, a lot of our shots were just short,” said Maine’s Adrianna Smith.

The America East Player of the Year, Smith finished with 22 points, but she had to work overtime for every one. Through three quarters, Smith was 4 for 14 from the field before finding her touch in the fourth quarter to finish 7 for 18. Windham’s Sarah Talon, who has been Maine’s consistent second offensive option in recent weeks, was held to two points on 1-for-9 shooting. Lala Woods was 2 for 10. Asta Blauenfedldt was 3 for 9.

Every Black Bear went cold. With a supreme team defensive effort, the Catamounts can take credit.