@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }

            KEENE, N.H. -- Junior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) led three players in double figures with a team-high 14 points as the University of Southern Maine Huskies earned a hard-fought, 65-57 win over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gymnasium.

            The win was the second straight for the Huskies who improved to 5-4 overall and 1-1 in the Little East.  The Owls fell to 3-5 overall and remain winless in the conference at 0-2.

            Garland was 5-for-10 from the field, including an outstanding 4-for-8 from beyond the three-point line, to lead the Huskies.  Sophomore forward Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) added 13 points, while junior guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) had 12 points, six rebounds and three steals.  Freshman guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) and senior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) each scored nine points.

            Junior guard Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) led all scorers with 19 points.  Sophomore guard Siobhan Carnell (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) added 13 points, while junior forward Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn.) added 11 points and seven rebounds.

            Trailing the Owls by six, 23-17, with 6:19 to play in the opening half, Southern Maine rallied to take a 31-26 at the break.  The Huskies outscored Keene State 14-3 over the final six minutes of the half.  Garland scored the Huskies' final six points of the half draining back-to-back three pointers.

            In the second half, Southern Maine extended its lead to 12, 43-31, on a three from McNamara with 13:47 on the clock.  The Owls rallied back to within a basket, 44-42, with 8:30 to play on the heels of an 11-1 run.  Laudano scored five of her 19 points in the run, while Cirillo netted four points, all from the free throw line.

            After the Keene State run, Southern Maine answered back to lead 52-47 with 5:59 to play as Garland and Jordan connected on pivotal three pointers.  The score remained close, fluctuating between a 3 to 5-point USM advantage over the next four minutes, before the Owls pulled to within a point, 57-56, following a pair of free throws from Laudano with 1:47 to play.

            The Huskies were able to execute down the stretch.  After Laudano's free throws, freshman guard Linsday Fox (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills) scored her only basket of the game after a drive-and-dish play from McNamara.  The Huskies made 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.  The Huskies defense limited the Owls to just one free throw, while forcing three turnovers and a 0-for-3 mark from the field in the final 1:30 of play.

            Southern Maine is off until it competes in the Disneyland Classic in Anaheim, Calif., against Occidental College on December 30 at 7:00 p.m. (EST).  Keene State faces Tufts University on January 2 at the Springfield College Naismith Classic.