Box Score FARMINGTON, Maine – Senior guard Erin McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) scored a career-high 24 points on a 6-for-8 effort from three-point range to lead three players in double figures as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the UMaine Farmington Beavers 86-57 in the championship game of the 2013 UMaine Farmington Tip Off Classic Saturday afternoon at Dearborn Gymnasium.
With the win, Southern Maine starts its season at 2-0. UMaine Farmington is 1-1 with the loss.
McNamara shot an outstanding 7-for-12 from the field and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line to pace the Huskies, adding six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Junior Taylor Flood (Sanford, Maine) also netted a career-high with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field, while senior guard Mariah Callender (Portland, Maine) tossed in 10 points.
Junior guard Lindsay Ranquist (Owls Head, Maine/Medomak Valley) was the only Beaver in double-figures with 19 points on 5-for-15 shooting from the field and an 8-for-9 effort from the free throw line. Sophomore forward Elizabeth Ferry (Winslow, Maine) and senior guard Mallory Bonnevie (Jay, Maine) each scored seven points for UMF.
Ahead 30-20 following a jumper from Flood, Southern Maine saw its lead dwindle to just one point as the Beavers rallied with an 11-2 run to close out the half to trail the Huskies 32-31 at the half. Ranquist scored five of her 19 points in the run, while Bonnevie added four. Despite shooting 36.4 percent (8-for-22) from the field in the first half, UMaine Farmington was bolstered by an 11-for-16 effort at the free throw line. Ranquist scored 11 of her 19 points in the opening half to keep her team in the game.
Led by a barrage of three-pointers from McNamara, the Huskies' outscored the Beavers 28-10 in the opening eight minutes of the second half to take a commanding 60-41 lead with 12:00 on the clock. McNamara knocked down four three-pointers in the pivotal run scoring 12 of her 21 points, while Flood opened the run with a three, netting seven of her 15 points.
The Huskies maintained a comfortable advantage the rest of the game. The Beavers pulled to within 15 of the Huskies at 64-49 at the seven-minute mark on a layup from Meghan Smith, but the Huskies outscored UMF 22-8 in the final seven minutes for the decisive win.
Southern Maine finished the game shooting 50.8 percent (31-for-61) from the field and 52.0 percent from three-point range (13-for-25), led by McNamara's six threes. UMaine Farmington shot 32.7 percent (16-for-49) from the field and 71.4 percent (20-for-28) from the free throw line.
Southern Maine travels to nearby University of New England for its next contest on Tuesday (5:30 p.m.). UMaine Farmington hosts Bates College on Thursday (7:00 p.m.).
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