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            GORHAM, Maine -- Junior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) rang up her 14th double-double of the season scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 59-42 win over the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons Tuesday night in a Little East Conference women's basketball game at the Warren Hill Gymnasium.

            The win improved the Huskies record to 16-8 and 11-2 in the Little East Conference.  The Huskies win, combined with Western Connecticut State University's win over instate rival Eastern Connecticut State University, clinched second place in the conference standings and a first round bye in the upcoming conference tournament for the Huskies.  The loss stops a modest two-game winning streak for the Beacons who fall to 13-11 overall and 3-10 in the conference.

            Cochran was 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line en route to her team high total.  Senior forward Becky Dixon (Gardiner, Maine) added 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal to finish as the only other USM player in double figures.  Junior guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) and senior guard Kaylie DeMillo (Jay, Maine) each scored nine points. 

            Freshman guard Senteria Renwicks (Baltirmore, Md./Lansdown) led all scorers with 21 points, knocking down 5-of-8 three-pointers.  Freshman guard Kendra Mosely (Indian Head, Md./Henry E. Lackey) added 12 points and four rebounds. 

            Southern Maine overcame a shaky start and rallied to lead UMass Boston 26-24 at the half, despite shooting only 33 percent from the field.  USM trailed UMass Boston by 13 points, 19-6, eight minutes into the game.  Renwicks was red-hot from the floor in the first half, sinking three of her five three-pointers. 

            In the second half, USM still struggled offensively, but applied defensive pressure to outscore UMB 14-1 in the first seven minutes to grab a 40-25. Cochran scored six of her 15 points in the run for USM.

            A three from Beacon freshman Sarah McAdams (Portland, Ore./Grant) with 11:53 to play gave UMass Boston its first field goal of the half and trimmed the USM lead to 40-28.  The Huskies countered with a 12-0 run over the next four minutes to take their largest lead of the game, 52-28, with eight minutes to play.  Cochran again paced the Huskies offense scoring seven of the 12 points in the run that was capped by a three pointer from junior guard Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering).

            Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) when they travel to Eastern Connecticut State University for its final regular season game of the season.  UMass Boston hosts Western Connecticut State University on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).