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            GORHAM, Maine -- Senior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) buried a three-point shot with 2.5 seconds remaining to snap a tie game and deliver the University of Southern Maine Huskies a thrilling 72-69 win over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon at the Warren Hill Gymnasium.

            The win was the eighth straight for the Huskies who improved to 13-6 overall and 8-1 in the Little East Conference.  The Owls had their four-game winning streak stopped and drop to 10-10 overall and 3-6 in the conference.

            DeMillo's clutch three-pointer was her third of the game as the 5-foot-7 guard finished the game with 13 points, four rebounds and five assists.

            Juniors Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) and Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) scored 18 points apiece for the Huskies.  Garland was lights out from three-point range knocking down 5-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc en route to a career high.  Cochran helped USM control the paint on a 7-for-14 shooting effort from the field, and snagged a game-high 12 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season.

            Junior forward Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn./Windsor Locks) led all scorers with 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals.  Cirillo finished the game 11-for-15 from the field.  Junior guards Meghan Farrell (Chester, Vt./Green Mountain) and Sara Laudano (North Haven, Conn.) each scored 14 points for the Owls.  Farrell also registered a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds.

            In a closely contested game that featured three lead changes and nine ties, DeMillo's 191st career three-pointer was the deciding factor.  Trailing by two, Cirillo came up with a steal and drove the length of the court to knot the score for the eighth time, 67-67, with 1:41 on the clock. 

            After a missed possession on each end of the court, Cochran calmly sank two free throws with 43 seconds remaining for a narrow 69-67 lead.  However, the Owls' Farrell picked up a loose ball and scored the layup on the her team's next possession for the ninth tie score, 69-69 with 25 seconds to play.

            After a timeout, USM freshman guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) penetrated the Owl defense and kicked the ball out to a waiting DeMillo for the step-back three.  KSC had a long last-second attempt at the basket, but was unable to connect.

            Southern Maine travels to in-state rival Colby College on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.).  Keene State host Rhode Island College on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).