Box Score KEENE, N.H. – Senior Sean Bergeron (Kennebunk, Maine) scored a season-best 21 points in his first start of the season to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to a 90-83 win over the Keene State College Owls in a Little East Conference men's basketball game Saturday afternoon at Spaulding Gym in Keene, N.H.
The win is the second straight for the Huskies who improve to 8-5 overall and 3-0 in the Little East Conference. The win over Keene State is the first for the Huskies in their last nine tries and marks the first time since 1979 that USM defeated the Owls on their home court. The Huskies are also 3-0 to start LEC play for the first time since the 1998-1999 season. The loss stops a two-game win streak for KSC and drops its record to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the LEC.
Bergeron knocked down five three-pointers and was 6-for-12 from the field overall en route to his game-high total. He added a team-high seven rebounds and had two blocked shots. Junior guard Conor Sullivan (Scarborough, Maine) added 19 points, five assists and three steals, while senior guard Alex Kee (Bath, Maine/Morse) had 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Junior forward James Odneal (Pontiac, Mich./Bottineau) tossed in 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting as four USM players reached double-digits in scoring.
Senior forward Eric Fazio (Hopewell Junction, NY/Our Lady of Lords) led KSC with 19 points. Senior guard Ryan Martin (Wayne, Maine/Maranacook) and Rashad Wright (Agawam, Mass./South Kent) each had 17 points, while Wright had a game-high 13 boards. Sophomore Tom Doyle (Wallingford, Conn./Notre Dame) chipped in with 12 points and three assists.
With the score tied at 55 with 11:48 to pay, USM used a 17-5 run over the next five minutes to grab a 72-60 lead and grab its third conference win of the season in as many tries. After a three from KSC's Martin to knot the score up at 55, Bergeron started the run with a three to the lead, which the Huskies' never relinquished. A layup from Owl junior Montell Walcott (New Haven, Conn./Hyde Leadership) cut the USM lead to a point, but one of two free throws from Sullivan and another three from Bergeron started a quick 8-0 run for a 66-57 lead with 8:16 to play.
The Huskies maintained between an 8-10 point lead over the next six minutes and led 81-71 with 2:25 to play before the Owls made a final push to pull to within two possessions, 82-77, with a 6-1 run. Wright had four points, while Fazio sank two free throws to lead the Owls' charge, but USM's Bergeron sank two free throws on his team's next possession and USM closed out the game making 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch for the win.
Southern Maine hosts Rhode Island College on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.). The Owls travel to Western Connecticut State on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.). Both are Little East Conference games.
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