Box Score GORHAM, Maine – Senior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) led three players in double figures with her third double-double of the season with 25 points and 13 rebounds – both game-high totals – as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Bates College Bobcats 76-63 in a non-conference women's basketball game Tuesday night at Hill Gymnasium in Gorham, Maine.
Winners of three straight, Southern Maine improves its record to 3-1 on the season. The Bobcats, playing in their first game of the season, fall to 0-1.
Cochran was 8-for-12 from the field and 9-for-11 from the free throw line to match her career-high in scoring. The 6-1 forward added three blocked shots. Senior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) knocked down four of five three-pointers en route to 16 points, while sophomore guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) added 13 points and four assists. Junior forward Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) chipped in with eight points, six rebounds and four assists and junior forward Jordan Grant (Concord, N.H.) had a solid game off of the bench with six points, five rebounds, one block and one steal.
Sophomore guard Meredith Kelly (Cohasset, Mass.) led the Bobcats with 17 points on an outstanding 7-for-12 effort from the field. Kelly had a game-high seven assists to lead a swarming Bates defensive effort. Freshman forward Molly Brown (South Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) added 14 points, four rebounds and three steals.
After a lights out 60.4 percent (17-for-28) shooting performance in the first half, the Huskies led the Bobcats comfortably 45-32 at the break. Garland scored 13 of her 16 points in the first half knocking down 3-of-4 three pointers to lead USM, while Cochran was 4-for-4 from the field and free throw line for 12 first half points.
In the second half the Huskies shooting cooled from the field as Bates increased its defensive pressure, but the Huskies managed to increase their lead to 57-39 over the eight minutes. Despite shooting just 2-of-9 and committing seven turnovers over the eight minutes stretch, the Huskies managed to outscore the Bobcats 12-7 thanks in part to a solid 7-for-8 effort from the free throw line.
Trailing by 18, 57-39, with 11:25 to play Bates was able to pull to within eight of the Huskies, 60-52 outscoring USM 13-3 over five minutes span. Brown and Kelly each had five points in the run. The Huskies regained a double-digit lead with a 7-2 spurt for a 67-54 advantage with 2:45 to play, before Brown and Kelly again connected for a 5-0 mini run to trail 67-59 with 2:08 to play. The Huskies, however, were able to take back control from the free throw line knocking down all six of their attempts, including four straight from McNamara and two from Jordan, en route to a 9-4 run to close out the game. McNamara scored seven of her 13 points in the final two minutes of action.
Southern Maine returns to action on Sunday (5:30 p.m.) at Saint Joseph's College (Maine). Bates hosts Husson on Tuesday (6:00 p.m.).
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