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            GORHAM, Maine -- Junior guard DaQuan Brooks (Atlanta, Ga./Bristol Central) scored a game-high 33 points on an outstanding 11-for-19 shooting mark to lead the nationally-ranked Western Connecticut State University Colonials to a 111-78 win over the University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at the Warren Hill Gymnasium.

            With the win, the Colonials won their third straight to improve to 15-2 overall and 6-1 in the Little East.  The loss was the third straight for the Huskies who fell to 9-8 overall and 1-6 in the conference.

            Brooks was almost automatic from three-point range sinking 7 of 10 from beyond the arc as the Colonials were a red-hot 61.5 percent (16-for-26) from the three-point line.  Brooks also had six steals, five assists and four rebounds, and was one of five Colonials in double figures.

            Freshman guard Jengodji Gates (New Haven, Conn./Hillhouse) added 14 points and junior forward Gary Robinson (Torrington, Conn./Hotchkiss) tossed in 13 points.  Junior guard Rob Bentil (East Hartford, Conn.) and senior center John Phillips (Hartford, Conn./Northwest Catholic) each scored 10 points.

            Southern Maine junior forward Jeremy Jackson (Laplace, La./Independence) paced the Huskies with a career-high 21 points on a 9-for-10 mark from the floor.  Junior forward Sean Bergeron (Kennebunk, Maine) added 17 points and six rebounds, while senior guard Devon Chambers (Memphis, Tenn./Oak Hill Academy) scored 14 points.  Senior forward Otis Smith (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Ocoee) added 12 points and corralled a game-high eight rebounds.

            Leading by one (30-29) late in the first half, the Colonials took control of the game by outscoring the Huskies, 14-3, over the final four minutes to take a 44-32 lead into the break.  Brooks scored eight of the Colonials' 14 points in the run, including a back-breaking, buzzer-beating three.

            On their first possession of the second half, Jackson pulled the Huskies within 10 with an offensive rebound and a put-back, but the Warriors responded with a quick, 11-4 run to take a 17-point (55-38) lead with 17:44 to play. 

            Over the next two minutes, USM chipped away at the Western Connecticut lead to trail by 11 (57-46) after a layup from senior guard Troy Jellison (Bangor, Maine).  Again the Colonials responded, this time with an 11-2 run to assume a 68-48 lead with 13:03 to play.

            The Huskies never got closer than 16 points the rest of the game as the Colonials continued to shoot red-hot from the field for the win.

            Western Connecticut finished the game shooting 55.3 percent (42-for-76) from the field.  Southern Maine shot a solid 50.0 percent (34-for-68) from the floor, but was hampered by 24 turnovers.

Both teams are back on the court on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) with another LEC game.  Southern Maine travels to the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Western Conn. faces in-state rival Eastern Connecticut State University.

-cac-