With the win, Southern Maine improves to 21-5 and advances to the championship game of the tournament and will face top-seeded Rhode Island College on Saturday (4:00 p.m.) in the Little East Conference championship.  Rhode Island College defeated Western Connecticut State University 67-47 in the first semifinal game.   Keene State drops to 17-9 with the loss.

            Garland was 4-for-8 from the three-point line and 4-for-4 from the free throw line with three assists.  Senior forward Courtney Cochran (Waite, Maine/Woodland) notched her conference leading 14th double-double of the season with 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.  Junior forward Haley Jordan (Falmouth, Maine) added 15 points and six rebounds.

            Senior guard Courtney Cirillo (Windsor Locks, Conn.) led all scorers with 22 points to pace the Owls.  Cirillo was 7-for-16 from the field and added five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Freshman guard Rachel Brucks (Suwanee, Georgia/North Gwinnett) was the only other Owl in double-figures with 11 points, including three three-point field goals.

            After a buzzer-beating three to conclude the first half from Cirillo, Southern Maine held a narrow 25-22 lead at the break.  In the second half, Southern Maine extended its lead to 33-22 with an 11-0 run in the first two and a half minutes.  Garland keyed the Husky run with a pair of three-pointers and senior guard Renee Nicholas (Sebago, Maine/Lake Region) capped the 11-0 spurt with an athletic driving layup at 17:35 to play.

            The Owls roared back to knot the score up at 35-35 with 12:28 using a 13-2 run.  Three different players figured in the scoring for the Owls led by five points from Brucks.  With the momentum swinging towards the Owls, Garland stepped up for the Huskies' knocking down her third three-pointer of the second half and restoring a 38-35 USM led with 11:22.

            After Garland's three regained the Huskies lead, Southern Maine remained in front of the Owls the rest of the way.  After a missed possession on both ends, Garland drove the basket and was fouled and sank both free throws and Jordan finished one of five Nicholas assists for a 42-35 USM lead with 9:43 to play.

            Both team's traded baskets for the next four minutes before Jordan and Cochran combined for four straight points on a pair of free throws (Jordan) and a power move in the paint from Cochran for a 10-point, 53-43, with 5:03 on the clock.  From there the Owls were never able to get closer than seven points the rest of the way, as USM held on for the win.

–cac–