Box Score NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Senior Nicole Garland (Portland, Maine/Deering) was 5-for-7 from three-point range en route to a game-high 18 points to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 73-45 win over the University of Maine at Farmington Beavers in the second game of the 2012 UMass Dartmouth Tip-Off Classic Friday afternoon at the Tripp Athletic Center in North Dartmouth, Mass.
Garland was 6-of-9 overall and 5-for-7 from three-point range to lead Southern Maine to a 1-0 start to its 2012-13 campaign. UMaine Farmington falls to 0-1.
Senior forward Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) and junior guard Mariah Callender (Portland, Maine) each had 10 points. Junior guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) added nine points and four assists. Sophomore forward Rebecca Knight (Alfred, Maine/McAuley) led USM with 10 rebounds and chipped in seven points.
Junior forward Holly Oliver (Belgrade Lakes, Maine/Messalonskee) was the only player in double figures for the Beavers with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 mark from three-point range. Senior forward Kenni Norton (Storng, Maine/Mt. Abram) added nine points and six rebounds.
Ahead 12:7 with 14:45 on the clock, USM used a 10-2 run over the next three and a half minutes to grab a solid 22-9 lead with 10:17 remaining in the half. Garland kick started the Huskies' run with back-to-back three-pointers, followed by a pair of free throws from Knight and a lay-up from sophomore guard Kaitlin Callahan (Windsor, Vt.).
The Huskies remaining in control in the opening stanza and grabbed their largest lead 34-16 with 4:49 to play as Callender knocked in one of her two three-pointers in the game. UMF outscored USM 6-1 in the final minutes of the half including a three from Oliver to trail 35-22.
In the second half, UMF stayed within striking distance and trailed by 12 (41-29) following a layup from Norton with 16:51 to play, but the Huskies used a 13-4 run to grab a 21-point lead (54-33) with 13:20 to play and forcing the Beavers into a timeout. Garland and Jordan scored five and four points respectively.
Conditions did not improve for the Beavers after the timeout as the Huskies scored seven straight points to grab a 28-point lead, 61-33, with 10:58 to play. Jordan hit a fastbreak lay-up followed by five straight points from McNamara on a layup and a three-pointer. From there USM cruised to the win, 73-45.
Southern Maine scored 28 of its 73 points off of Beaver turnovers. UMF turned the ball over 25 times, while the Huskies had 15 steals, led by four from senior forward Jordan Grant (Concord, N.H.). USM's bench outscored UMF 22-11 led by Callendar's 10.
Southern Maine returns to action on Saturday (2:00 p.m.) when it faces Rivier College in the final game of the 2012 UMass Dartmouth Tip Off Classic. Rivier fell to UMass Dartmouth 66-60 in the first game. UMaine Farmington faces UMass Dartmouth at 12:00 p.m.
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