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            DANBURY, Conn. -- Senior forward Melissa Teel (Hamden, Conn.) scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds as the Western Connecticut State University Colonials defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies, 71-55, in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Feldman Arena.  The game was the conference opener for both teams.

            The win was the second straight for the Colonials who improved to 5-1 overall.  Suffering their second straight loss, the Huskies slipped to 3-4 overall.

            Teel's 19 points and 16 rebounds marked her second double-double of the season.  Senior guard Karli Spera (Waterford, Conn.) added 17 points and senior guard Heather Lee (Seymour, Conn.) tossed in 16 points, including five three-pointers.  Sophomore guard Carly Murphy (Wolcott, Conn.) chipped in with 11 points. 

            Southern Maine junior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to record her third double-double of the season.  Freshman guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) scored a career-high 19 points.

            The Colonials took a quick 6-0 lead on consecutive three-pointers by Lee in the opening two minutes of the game, a lead they would never relinquish.  Trailing by eight (26-18) with 3:05 to play, Southern Maine closed out the half with a 6-2 run to trail 28-24 at the break. 

            The Huskies pulled to within one (30-29) following a three-pointer by McNamara two minutes into the second half, but the Colonials would outscore the Huskies, 14-5, over the next four-plus minutes to open up a 10-point lead (44-34) with 13:31 remaining.  The Huskies twice were able to get within six, but they were unable to get any closer.

            Southern Maine hosts Salem State University on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.).  Western Connecticut is at Trinity College (Conn.) on Thursday (7:30 p.m.).

-cac-