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            GORHAM, Maine -- Junior guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and junior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) combined for 30 points and 27 rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 67-62 win over the Husson University Eagles in a non-conference women's basketball game Wednesday night at Hill Gymnasium.

            The win stops a two-game slide for the Huskies who improve to 6-6 overall.  The Eagles fall to 2-7 with their fourth straight loss.

            Nicholas and Cochran each had 15 points.  Cochran notched her team-leading seventh double-double by also grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds.  Nicholas, a 5-foot-7 guard, grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds and added a pair of assists and three steals.  Senior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) had 12 points, while freshman guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) added 10 points, four assists and two steals. 

            Junior forward Brianna Hanscom (Mattawamkeag, Maine/Mattanawcook Academy) led all scorers with 18 points and had a team-high seven rebounds.  Senior guard Bethany Sevey (Skowhegan, Maine) chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.

            Led by nine points apiece from Nicholas and DeMillo, the Huskies led the Eagles 39-26 at the half.  The Huskies shot a solid 41.4 percent (12-for-29) from the field in the opening stanza, including five three-pointers.

            Southern Maine continued to hold a double-digit lead midway through the second half, 55-44, before the Eagles began chipping away at the deficit to pull to within a basket, 61-59, with 48 seconds on the clock.

            The Huskies shooting went ice cold over the final 10 minutes as they connected on just 2 of 13 field goal attempts.  Senior guard Noelle Lincoln (Dixmont, Maine/Nokomis) canned her second three-pointer of the contest with 48 seconds showing on the clock to pull the Eagles within two.  On its next possession, USM received two free throws from sophomore guard Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) to restore a four-point (63-59) lead with 29 seconds to play.  After a missed field goal attempt and forced to foul, the Eagles put the Huskies on the line where the Huskies responded with four consecutive free throws - two each from Cochran and McNamara - in the final 14 seconds.

            Southern Maine shot just 29.6 percent (8-for-27) from the field in the second half and finished the game shooting 35.7 percent (20-for-56) from the field.  Southern Maine was a solid 80.0 percent (20-for-25) from the free throw line.  Husson finished the game shooting 42.6 percent (23-for-54) from the field. 

            Southern Maine hosts the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference game.  Husson faces the University of New England on Thursday (6:00 p.m.).